Through the Sun's Flames
by littlegirlwarrior
Summary: "AND NOW, THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITIN' FOR! SHE'LL PUT YOU UNDER HER TRANCE, SHE'LL MYSTIFY YOUR MINDS-" "Don't you mean she'll steal your money so her boss will let her eat tonight?" Ember Jinx muttered as she let out a groan, tugged at her lacy white gloves, and straightened her top hat. "PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR THE HOTTEST MAGICIAN IN ALL OF VEGAS, DEMITRIA!"
1. Chapter 1

**If this is the first time you've read a littlegirlwarrior fanfiction, ignore the following paragraph:**

 **And she's alive! Hey everybody! It's little me, back from...like I'm gonna tell you where I go to college! Let's just say I'm still in Tennessee and I'm at a college that seriously makes me miss my high school (at least there I was the second smartest kid in my class** **and** **still had time to write fanfiction). Oh well. C'est la vie. I'm writing now and that's all that matters! In fact, the only reason I'm writing now is because I hurt my knee a couple weeks ago when I was out running (that's what I get for trying to stay healthy in college) so I couldn't go to my dance classes plus I didn't have a big lab report due the next day for my chemistry lab that would otherwise eat up my time. I just made little tweaks here and there until I was finally free for Thanksgiving break. Since I've started college, I only write four things: papers, speeches, notecards, and lab reports. I have more time left in the day yet I still feel like I don't have any creative writing time. Go figure.**

 **Okay now here is a message that applies to ALL readers. I've been thinking about writing a Now You See Me story for about a year and a half but I didn't actually formulate it until about two months ago. I didn't want to just do the expected "make an OC, toss her into the movie, pair her up with one of the Horsemen, and change none of the main plot" thing. However, sometimes the best way to do it is to take what everybody else does/expects, do it yourself, and just do it better.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any pop culture references made in this story**

 _*Sunday, Las Vegas, Nevada*_

"AND NOW, THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITIN' FOR! SHE'LL PUT YOU UNDER HER TRANCE, SHE'LL MYSTIFY YOUR MINDS-"

" _Don't you mean she'll steal your money so her boss will let her eat tonight_?" Ember Jinx mentally corrected as she let out a groan and tugged at her lacy white gloves.

Another night, another eight hours of selling herself out for a crowd of drunk and lecherous men. One would think that after six years of working at Three Rings, Ember's job wouldn't bother her anymore. In reality, it still bothered her, but Ember learned to grow numb to the humiliation of parading around and seducing men into practically throwing their money at her.

"PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR THE SEXIEST MAGICIAN IN ALL OF VEGAS, DEMITRIA!"

Ross Lynch's "Illusion" blasted on the speakers. Ember released a deep breath, straightened her tuxedo jacket, and put on her fakest smile before strutting out from behind the curtains. Hopefully her new trick would get her some extra tips tonight...as long as it didn't burn anybody.

 _I'll be your entertainer_

Ember put one hand on the pole in the center of the stage and used the other one to tip her hat as she dipped into a low curtsy.

 _I'm puttin on a show_  
 _I'm gonna levitate ya_

Ember swung her leg around the pole before lifting herself off the ground and leaning back like she was floating off the ground.

 _Leave ya_  
 _Wa- Wa- Wantin more_

Ember slowly slid down the pole, tilting her head back for dramatic effect.

 _I see you fascinated_  
 _I've got you hypnotized_

Ember strutted up to the front of the stage, knelt in front of a boy (who clearly used a fake ID to get in because he looked no older than seventeen), pulled her red handkerchief out of her jacket pocket, wrapped it around the back of the giddy boy's neck, winked at the hormonal teenager, and stood back up to face the audience, leaving the boy with her pocket hankie.

 _White gloves, what you dream of_  
 _A fantasy before your eyes_

Ember dragged her gloved hands across her collarbone before hooking her fingers on the collar of her ankle-length tuxedo jacket and slowly pulling it off, showing off her strapless leotard that was lacy white and ruffled at the top, like a mixture of a corset and a normal blouse, but sleek and black from the waist down. She also had a white collar that was separate from the leotard but held a red sequin bow tie to match the red band around her tilted top hat.

 _Step right up on the stage_  
 _Free yourself from the cage_

Ember dropped her jacket to the floor and bobbed her hips from side to side.

 _Pick a card and guess it girl_  
 _Here's a lesson girl_

Ember produced cards out of thin air, much to the amazement of the audience, and fanned herself with them.

 _It's just an illusion_

Ember's cards suddenly lit into flames, earning quite a few gasps from the crowd, but Ember just smirked...because she was about to do something much more impressive than basic flashpaper tricks.

 _1-2-3... I disappear_  
 _I'm coming right back, so stay right here_

Ember began spinning around in a circle.

 _Ain't no second guessing girl_  
 _I'm impressing girl_  
 _But I'm just an illusion_

Ember vanished from the stage in a burst of fire. The lights pulsed with the beats of the music as the audience members looked around in confusion for their entertainer.

 _Ohoh...uh_  
 _Listen_

The spotlights snapped to attention at one of the raised platforms on the opposite side of the club, where Ember just happened to be dancing around like nothing happened.

 _I ain't no fake houdini_  
 _I put a spell on you_  
 _I'm somethin like a genie_

Ember clapped her hands together over her head, like a genie.

 _Girl I make your wish come true_

Ember gyrated her body like a belly dancer as she slowly lowered to the ground.

 _And now our time is runnin_  
 _With every grain of sand_  
 _So here's the grand finale_  
 _Watch me do my sleight of hand_

Ember seemed to conjure up handfuls of sparkling dust and blew the glitter at the audience right before the repeat of the chorus started, giving her enough time to strut through crowd until she found a perfect target: a trust fund brat. He reeked of overpriced cologne; was wearing designer everything; and was just a little younger than she was, meaning he was old enough to carry around Mummy and Daddy's cash and smart enough to choose one of the few clubs in Vegas that didn't have constant paparazzi outside the front door waiting for dirt on the rich and famous. However, his ego proved to be his downfall... meaning he was so conceited that he had his wallet overflowing with hundred-dollar-bills purposefully bulging from his pocket. He wouldn't notice if a few went missing...

 _Somewhere in a dream_

Ember sashayed toward the man, swaying her hips from side to side as she locked eyes with him. That stuck-up jerk actually had the nerve to smirk at his "irresistible charms".

 _We'll meet again my baby_  
 _And I promise that I won't disappear_

Ember traced her hands down the man's face and over his upper body before she turned around and seductively circled her hips as she lowered herself along his body, making sure not to actually touch him, but rather just graze over him while her free hand reached behind her to grab a few bills.

 _I'll be right here_  
 _And I won't be won't be won't be_  
 _Just an illusion (yeah, baby)_

Ember grinned victoriously, swatted Richie Rich's hands away from her corset, whipped around, and winked at him before strutting back to the main stage for her final dance sequence.

 _Step right up on the stage_  
 _Free yourself from the cage  
Pick a card and guess it girl_  
 _Here's a lesson girl  
It's just an illusion  
1-2-3... I disappear_  
 _I'm coming right back, so stay right here  
Ain't no second guessing girl_  
 _I'm impressing girl_  
 _But I'm just an illusion_

Ember took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself for her big finale.

 _Step right up on the stage  
Free yourself from the cage  
Pick a card and guess it girl_  
 _Here's a lesson girl  
It's just an illusion  
1-2-3... I disappear_

On the count of three, Ember snapped her fingers and the lights on the stage blacked out. Suddenly, a small flame flickered to life on the stage. Before the audience knew it, that flame danced across the stage in the shape of a flower.

 _I'm coming right back, so stay right here  
Ain't no second guessing girl_  
 _I'm impressing girl_  
 _But I'm just an illusion_

That blossom-shaped fire exploded in a burst of sparks, lighting up the silhouette of a girl wearing a long tuxedo coat and holding the rim of her top hat. The embers floated to the ground almost lyrically.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET'S HEAR IT ONE MORE TIME FOR DEMITRIA!"

The crowd howled in appreciation, especially the men who snagged a spot close enough to catch a whiff of "Demitria's" spicy perfume. Ember forced a flirtatious smile as she curtsied once again, blew a kiss, and strutted off the stage with an elegant wave of the hand.

 _*{o}*_

From behind the curtain, Ember smirked weakly at the roaring applause for her fourth show of the night. She was thrilled that her flower flame finale was a success, but was this really what she would be doing for the rest of her life? Was this as far as her magic career would take her? Ember sighed and shuffled over to her vanity so she could get ready to go home. The second the young magician sat down in her chair, a middle-aged woman with a spray tan, clunky costume jewelry, and a gray pixie cut scurried over. Camille, affectionately known as Madonna because of her 1980's style wardrobe, was the hair/makeup/wardrobe specialist for Three Rings and was also the closest thing Ember had to a maternal figure.

"Em, I will never know how you can play with fire so much and still come out without a single burnt hair!" Camille commented in her New Jersey accent.

"Fire, I can handle. If anything, all the damage comes from the blokes trying to break the 'no unpurchased contact' rules out there," Ember replied in a bittersweet tone.

"Oh don't I know it!" Camille agreed. She used to work in Atlantic City when she was Ember's age, so the casino life was nothing new to Camille.

Ember winced as Camille tried to pull off Ember's top hat.

"What'd I do, weld this to ya head or somethin'?!" Camille exclaimed as she got to work digging through Ember's pale tresses for bobby pins.

"Pretty much," Ember responded. "I kept losing the hat before the first round of the chorus so you decided to take 'desperate measures'."

Camille cursed under her breath about the real meaning of desperate measures until she finished her task.

"Got the lil sucker!" Camille proclaimed victoriously as she pulled out the final bobby pin. "Whaddya want me to do about those streaks, Em?"

Ember looked at herself in the mirror. Her costume, makeup, dance, all determined by her boss. Her hair was the only thing Ember had some control over with regard to her boss's rules. That day, she had decided to add some bright red streaks to her platinum blonde, shoulder-length curls, which Camille had styled to be bigger and wilder.

"Can you just keep them in for now? It'll take the dye a few days to wash out anyway."

Camille nodded obediently and proceeded to untangle the curls from each other and remove Ember's stage makeup.

"Okay ladies! You know the drill! Empty your costumes!" a man shouted suddenly.

Ember sighed and looked up at the mirror on her vanity to see the boss storm in. He was a short man, wearing a blinding gold silk shirt with a deep V cut to show off his disgustingly hairy chest and growing potbelly, excessively tight leather pants, and fake alligator skin boots. His unnaturally shiny black hair was slicked back and he looked every bit the part of the sleazy strip club owner that he was.

Ember cast a look at Camille, who completely understood and slid out of the dressing room without protest. The girls from Ember's shift immediately stood up and began pulling the bills out of their "uniforms".

"All the way, ladies," the boss chirped with a wicked smirk. "You too, Ember!"

The strippers began to whine. Ember growled under her breath as she stood up from her chair and, as slowly as possible, began to remove her costume. Being trapped in a job as eye candy for a Vegas club was bad enough, but stripping herself down in front of this man was absolutely dehumanizing.

"Don't blame me," the boss snapped when he saw the loathing looks from his employees. "Blame Krista."

At the mention of her friend's name, Ember looked around for the woman's caramel-colored skin and signature mane. Since Krista played the lioness in the animal-tamer act (even though technically a female lion wouldn't have a mane), she always had her thick chocolate brown hair teased into a wavy mass. Krista had been working at Three Rings for about two years, right after her dealer/boyfriend dumped her, stole all her money, and left her to recover from her addiction and take care of their newborn daughter all on her own. Krista subjected herself to the stigma of being a stripper just so her beautiful Baylee could grow up with a roof over her head, food on her plate, and a drug-free parent.

"I canned her last night. Turns out our little kitty cat was pawin' some of my money to feed that fix o' hers," the boss reported

"It wasn't to feed her fix! It was to feed her baby!" Ember exclaimed as she flung her red stilettos to the ground. "Unlike some people, Krista wanted to be a good guardian! But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Uncle Dick? Oops, I mean Uncle Rick?"

The girls gasped at Ember's nerve.

Rick Moran visibly twitched as his hair slid to the side, revealing his gray fuzz underneath his toupee. "That mouth o' yours just cost you another night without pay! At this rate, you'll be my age by the time you pay off your parents' debt!"

"But I've already worked off more than half!" Ember argued.

"It's called interest, love," Rick taunted. "Now, if you're a good little girl and follow directions, I may even give you enough to buy yourself an ice cream on your way home."

Ember scowled as she stormed off to her corner. She was twenty two years old, an adult, and yet she was still under her uncle's thumb. Every year, Rick came up with a new excuse to keep her chained to the club. Funeral costs, travel expenses from Ireland, textbook funds from sending her to the local public high school, interest rates, the list went on and on.

"Remember ladies, money goes in the box or it's stolen property!" Rick announced as he and his bouncers eagerly watched the free show.

Ember seethed. She began emptying the money from her costume when she felt something much larger and stiffer than cash stuffed into the side of her corset. Angling her body away from her uncle and the other security cameras, Ember pulled out what looked like a tarot card. On one side, there was an illustration of the sun along with the Roman numerals XIX. Ember flipped the card over and nearly dropped it when she saw what was on the other side. Underneath a drawing of an eye, there was a time and a place.

 _MARCH 29_

 _4:44 PM_

 _45 EAST EVAN St_

 _NY, NY_

Ember snatched up her phone. It was currently 4:07 am on March 25 **(AN technically she got the card Sunday night because she did her first dance around 8 pm, but she didn't find the card until it was technically Monday morning).** She had four and a half days to get from Sin City to the Big Apple. But how? Rick would never let her skip work to go chasing after what so many thought was just a myth. Ember looked at the card one last time and it finally dawned on her. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If she didn't snatch it now, it would never come again. Ember hid the card in her bag; finished cleaning out her costume for her tips; put all the money in the box, casting an innocent grin at her uncle and his meatheads; and hung up her uniform for what would hopefully be the last time. As Ember walked through the seedy alleys to get to her uncle's dingy apartment, she formulated a plan. Once that sun came up, Ember's life would finally turn around.

 _*{o}*_

 **A few announcements before you pass any judgment about this story:**

 **1\. I have NEVER been to a strip club (the closest I've come to that is seeing a drag show sponsored by some sexual orientation equality organization at my college and I only went because I had a friend performing in it and I promised him I would go support him), nor do I have a dirty mind. In fact, I hate the media's sexualization of women (the only times I went to Victoria's Secret were when a friend dragged me) and I'm probably the most innocent college freshman you'll ever meet. I've only been to Vegas once (for my parents' 25th wedding anniversary) and I was only sixteen years old. Therefore I could not, would not, and did not participate in any of the seedier activities of Vegas. I scowled every time we passed an advertisement for a peep show or anything related to sex and I hid behind my parents or older brother every time we walked down the street so people would stop trying to pass me cards with pictures of naked/half-naked women on them.**

 **2\. The reason I put Ember to work in a strip club was because I wanted her to be found in a way different from the other Horsemen. Also, I was originally planning to have Ember be recruited about two years after the events of the movie. She was going to be a magician/stripper that Danny, Merritt, and Jack would be sent to recruit under the guise of going to the club as a bachelor party for his wedding to Henley (the bachelor party would be their cover but the wedding would be real) and Ember would pickpocket them, passing her initial test and getting herself a card. Then, after about a year and a half of occasionally pondering that story, I remembered that The Eye only recruited only twice every century. This would be a problem for three reasons:**

 **A. The Eye wouldn't want to use up all its recruitments within the first fifteen years of the century**

 **B. If Ember was recruited separately from the Four Horsemen, I would have to create an entirely new team of magicians for her to bond with that would somehow measure up to the standards of the Four Horsemen**

 **C. Ember would have to follow the directions from The Eye "with blind obedience", so if Jack tried to make any contact with her (especially if he secretly tried to help her), she would be rejected and he would probably get kicked out**

 **3\. If Danny can find his card right as he is about to have sex with that girl, if Merritt can make that many sex jokes, I'm pretty sure I can have Ember be hired from a strip club.**

 **4\. My brother gave me this long-winded speech about how having another Horseman would ruin the entire mythology upon which The Eye was built (something about the four visible Horsemen of the apocalypse and the fifth being invisible) and yada yada yada but I decided to run with it nevertheless. (No offense bro! I still love ya!)**

 **Well know that my PSA's are out of the way, leave a review if you like it (which I sincerely hope you do) and hopefully I'll reenter the world of fandoms before second semester. As for now, it's time for this not-a-littlegirl-anymore warrior to get back into the trenches!** _*pulls down goggles, snaps on gloves, and arms self with pipettes*_ **General Chemistry, that C- is only temporary! I'm coming for you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Happy Holidays everybody! Before I get into the chapter, I have an important message: you better enjoy this chapter cuz I wasted valuable study time writing it...thank you so much for giving me a reason to procrastinate! Now I feel like there was something else I wanted to say.**

 **...**

 **What was it again?**

 **...**

 **It's right there on the tip of my tongue.**

 **...**

 **Oh yeah! I wanted to thank ChibiChesire, Kuroyami-chan, Simone140089, TheRavenSlayer13, gothicpoet0615, and Kristen123 for adding my story to their favorites list; BlueEyedGunSlinger, HopeSerenityFaith, Kuroyami-chan, Lies of a Silver Tongue, NikkiReedfan, gothicpoet0615, shadygrl91, Leighlagames, and Kristen123 for adding my story to their story alerts; and Lies of a Silver Tongue and foxchick1 for adding my story to their review history. Y'all are amazing and persuaded me (especially foxchick1) to update this story before all my others.**

 **Disclaimer: as smart as I was back in high school, I don't think I was smart enough to create Now You See Me at the age of 15...if I was, why am I even in college?**

 _*Monday, Las Vegas, Nevada*_

"Ember!" Rick called out as he stumbled out of his bedroom with a raging hangover.

The man squinted as his eyes adjusted to the late afternoon sun pouring through the crooked blinds in the living room/kitchen. He was still wearing his clothes from the night before, only now they were hideously wrinkled and his toupee was lopsided. He clicked his tongue, trying to get the aftertaste out of his dry mouth. Finally, Rick noticed the flashing digital clock. 3:20 pm?!

"EMBER!" Rick bellowed. "You were s'posed to wake me up over an hour ago!"

There was no reply. Since Ember clearly wasn't in the room, Rick stormed over to the bathroom and pounded on the door.

"Unless you're spinnin' straw into gold in there, you're gonna get it for makin' me late!"

Again, no reply. Rick angrily kicked open the door.

"Primp on your own-" Rick stopped when he saw that the bathroom was completely empty.

Rick's fury was quickly replaced by dread as he raced around his home looking for his niece, which didn't take long since it was only a one-bedroom apartment. But she was gone, along with all of her belongings. Suddenly, Rick saw a small piece of paper sticking out from the front door. He snatched the odd-looking paper and recognized the handwriting.

 _Dear Uncle Dick,_  
 _By the time you read this note, I'll be long gone._  
 _Never again will I set foot in Three Rings and never again will I be your slave._  
 _I am moving on to bigger and better things, so trasna ort féin (you should be familiar with that)!_  
 _With love,_  
 _Ember_  
 _P.S. If you try to have me tracked down, followed, or arrested,_  
 _I'll go straight to the authorities and give them enough evidence to have you arrested_  
 _for fraud, assault, abuse of a minor, and involvement in the Irish mob._  
 _Don't think I can go through with it? Just try me._  
 _As you Americans say, feel the burn_!

As if on cue, the note burst into flames right in Rick's fingers. He yelped at the burning flash paper, but once it all disintegrated, Rick realized what just happened. His fingers curled into fists as his body trembled with rage. Rick ran over to the closet in his room, flung open the door, and shoved his hand into his jacket pocket, but like the rest of the apartment, it was also empty.

" _That lil whelp swiped my keys while I was asleep_!" Rick thought furiously before checked the breast pocket. " _And my wallet! Why'd I have to teach her so good?! Ugh I need a beer!"_

Rick stomped over to the fridge and threw it open, but he didn't find any alcohol. Instead, a huge puff of smoke covered the man in red powder. That ungrateful brat had gone too far. Not only did she make a fool out of him, but she screwed with his money. Rick snapped his head up to the ceiling and simply screamed.

 _*Friday, New York City, New York*_

Ember pulled her uncle's flashy car into the first parking lot she saw. She checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair, picked up two chunks of it, and tied them up into side pigtails while she let the rest hang loose to her shoulders. The red streaks still hadn't washed out, but Ember didn't mind. She whisked on some winged eyeliner and added some beige lip gloss. Finally, when she was satisfied with her appearance, Ember let out a deep breath.

Today was the day. Today was the day that everything went right, the day that her life would change forever. Ember tossed her road map of the US to the floor of the passenger seat and stepped out of the car. She opened the backdoor to grab her satchel from the backseat and then slammed it shut.

Ember looked over her outfit one last time. Luckily, the weather in New York was warmer than usual, which made her Vegas attire suitable for the temperature. Ember was wearing a long-sleeved white see-through shirt with swirled patterns on the sleeves underneath a long red sleeveless shirt that reached her mid-thighs so that, when worn with her brown belt, it looked more like a dress than a shirt. She also had on a pair of sparkly black leggings along with some heeled brown leather boots that laced up to her knees. Ember only hoped she was dressed well enough for the meeting. The meeting! Ember checked her watch.

" _Dang it_!" Ember mentally snapped.

How did she lose so much time? It was already 4:15, meaning Ember had less than half an hour to find an address in a completely unfamiliar city. Ember looked around until she noticed a newspaper stand. She lowered her sunglasses and headed straight for the merchant, not worrying about the car. It's not like it was hers anyway.

"Excuse me, sir, may I see a map?" Ember asked politely.

"You gotta buy it first," the merchant responded in a snarky tone with his back to Ember. "Typical tourist."

When the merchant turned around, though, he ate his words. One look at the beautiful young woman, who happened to have a sexy accent, and the merchant was hooked.

"Are you Irish, 'cause you sure look magically delicious."

Ember rolled her eyes. If she had a penny for every time she heard that one.

"But anyway, uh, who needs a map when you got a single New Yorker right here who can give you a private tour of his fair city?" the merchant flirted.

Ember huffed. New city, same piggish men. Time to knock this one down to size.

Ember put on the same seductive smile she used at the strip club. "Do you want to have children some day?"

"Are you offering?" the merchant questioned as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"No, but I'm saying that unless you give me a map, I will cut off a vital tool in the baby-making process."

The merchant's smirk dropped and he shakily picked up a map and held it out to the blonde girl. Ember beamed innocently as she passed the merchant a five dollar bill.

"Keep the change," Ember added in a falsely sweet voice before she walked off.

Once Ember was out of sight of the merchant, she opened the map and tried to interpret it. Ember started walking around aimlessly, keeping her eyes on the giant paper covered in dots and lines. She was so distracted by the map that she didn't even notice her surroundings until...

THUMP!

Ember walked straight into somebody who was going in the opposite direction. She bounced straight off the person and fell to the sidewalk.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, you-" Ember looked up at the person standing over her and just froze.

Her roadblock was a stunningly handsome man who looked like he was in his early twenties. He had short brown hair, warm hazel eyes, and a tanned body that most guys would kill for. He was wearing a simple black shirt with dark jeans and a leather jacket. The concerned look on his baby face was so precious that Ember immediately felt guilty for snapping at him.

"Oh my gosh! I-I'm so sorry!" the young man stuttered as he held out a hand to help Ember up.

"No no it's fine," Ember dismissed as she allowed the man to pull her off the sidewalk. "Most people would be enjoying the scenery. I guess I was just too busy enjoying the map. Wait my map!"

Ember suddenly realized that she had dropped her map in the collision. She frantically looked around for the map until she saw a piece of paper flipping around on the road.

"Blast it!" Ember cursed.

The Irish girl became even more frantic when she checked her watch and saw that it was already 4:33. She was running out of time and she was running out of it quickly.

The man clearly noticed Ember's frustration.

"Hey, um, how about I give you some directions?" the stranger offered. "After all, I'm the one who ran into you."

"Oh my gosh! Thank you so much!" Ember exclaimed gratefully.

The man chuckled good-naturedly. "It's no problem. What's the address?"

"45 East Evan Street," Ember replied.

Suddenly, the man's eyes lit up. "Y-you know, on second thought, how about I take you there myself?"

"There's no need for that!" Ember immediately objected, knowing that she couldn't let a complete stranger stumble across The Eye. "Really, all I need are a few directions and I'll find my way. Besides, I'm sure you have better places to be."

"Just think of it as a favor from one magician to another."

Ember gasped in realization. "You mean...you got one too?!"

"Yeah," the man replied with a shy grin, causing Ember to feel all fluttery.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Ember responded in an attempt to recover from her girly daze. "Lead the way, Yank."

The man smiled and held his arm in the opposite direction that Ember had been heading with the map.

"Oops," Ember responded, trying to hide her embarrassment by using a playful voice as they started walking through the Lower East Side. "I guess it's a good thing we ran into each other or I would've been wandering the city for hours."

"Well at least I wouldn't be the last one to show up then," the man joked.

"Oh you'll never have to worry about that," Ember dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I am the absolute worst at being on time. But what I lack in punctuality, I make up for in flair!" Ember put emphasis on the 'flair' by flinging glitter from her fingertips while doing some jazz hands.

The two of them laughed and then proceeded to walk side by side in comfortable silence for several blocks.

"You know, I never caught your name, Yank," Ember spoke up. "Or should I just keep calling you that?"

"You can call me whatever you want," the man offered with a grin.

Ember couldn't help but giggle. This guy was just so sweet and had such a killer smile.

"But in case you run out of nicknames, the name's Jack." The man angled his body towards Ember and stuck out his hand.

"Ember," the blonde girl replied with a nod as she shook the man - Jack's - hand.

"Ember," Jack repeated with a warm smile. "I like it."

The young Irish woman couldn't help but blush at the attention. She didn't even notice they had reached their destination until Jack stopped in front of a rundown brick building.

"Well, here we are," Jack announced.

"This is it?" Ember questioned. "Sort of anticlimactic, don't you think?"

Jack shrugged. "The Eye doesn't strike me as the type to drop thousands of dollars on a secret meeting place in the Upper West Side."

Ember perched her sunglasses on her head like a hairband and took one last meaningful look at the dingy apartment building. "Eh, it's still better than where I used to live," she muttered before she walked up the front steps.

Jack pushed the door open, allowing Ember to go in first, like a gentleman. Ember nodded her head in thanks and the two young magicians started climbing the stairs.

"So where was it you used to li-" Jack started to ask, but Ember cut him off with a shush.

There were already voices coming from the floor above them, which happened to be the sixth floor.

"Do you know how hard it is to stay in those tiny little costumes?" a woman questioned in frustration.

"Uh, no, I'm the main attraction," a man denied with an air of superiority.

"I know that voice from somewhere," Jack murmured.

Ember scoffed in disgust. "Please don't tell me we have to work with him."

"Let's go up and find out," Jack whispered as he took the lead.

"Okay, so he never made you feel special," third voice cut in, "and trust me, you deserve to be made to feel special."

At that point, Jack and Ember reached the top of the staircase.

"That's a really, really nice story," the first man dismissed. "Hope you enjoy each other's company." He turned around to leave, but Jack and Ember blocked his path.

Ember took note of the trio. There were two men and one woman. The man who tried to walk out, who was obviously the stuck-up one, had cold blue eyes, a faint goatee, and a shaggy brown haircut that was obviously a failed attempt at coolness. The other man was older, taller, and bulkier than the snob, and he had mischievous silver eyes along with a black fedora to cover the graying fuzz on his head. The two men were dressed in simple dark clothes while the woman was dressed very fashionably. With her stylish outfit, suede gloves, Starbucks coffee, gorgeous long red hair, and sparkling brown eyes, she looked more like a celebrity than a street magician. Ember suddenly felt like a little kid compared to these experienced adults.

"Seriously?" the man in the fedora exclaimed. "Am I the only one here who came without a date?!"

Ember's gaze drifted toward Jack, who had been in a daze since they laid eyes on their colleagues, but the word 'date' snapped them both out of their thoughts. Both young adults started babbling simultaneously.

"Whoa! We-we just met!" Ember stammered.

"A-And I already have a girlfriend!" Jack added.

"Do you just enjoy making people feel uncomfortable?" the woman inquired with a pointed look at the man in the fedora.

The balding man shrugged. "That's the purpose of mentalism, getting people to squirm. You'll get used to it."

Meanwhile, Ember's spirits deflated. An adorable guy like Jack, of course he was taken.

"You might've mentioned that sooner," Ember mumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Jack's ears turned red in embarrassment, but he was too distracted to properly apologize.

"Y-Yeah, that's totally my bad..." Jack trailed off as he gazed with admiration at the snob. "It's just...no way! J. Daniel Atlas? Dude, I've seen everything that you've ever done. I mean, you're like...I-I idolize you. Seriously."

"From a true fan. It's so nice to meet you," the snob replied in a perkier tone, clearly satisfied that he had fame over the other two.

"I'm Jack, by the way," Jack greeted with a starstruck grin as the snob, Daniel, shook his hand.

"Yeah that's great," Daniel interjected. "And I'm assuming your friend is here a fan too?" He looked at Ember expectantly.

"You know, now that you mention it, I believe I have heard your name before," Ember answered coyly.

"Oh really?" Daniel inquired, allowing his pride to puff up like a peacock. "Where? Chicago, Detroit, Denver?"

"Right here," Ember chirped before pointing at Jack, "when he said it."

The redheaded woman flung her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter while Jack chuckled and the man in the fedora smirked in respect. Daniel's mouth flopped around like a fish. Ember could practically see his head shrinking from his bruised ego.

" _Let that serve as a reminder of his hubris_ ," Ember thought as she batted her eyelashes and beamed innocently at Daniel.

"Question," the balding man spoke up. "Did you two get one of these?" The man held up a tarot card and tapped it with his finger.

"Yeah, yeah," Jack muttered as he dug around in his messenger bag until he pulled out a card with a skull on it. "Death," he said with a grin.

"The High Priestess," the woman added as she held up her invitation with a blindfolded woman.

"I'm the Lover," Daniel bragged, showing off his picture of a snake wrapped around the heart.

"Three minutes," the redhead coughed into her fist.

Daniel glared at the woman, who was clearly also his ex-girlfriend.

"Hermit," the man in the fedora stated as he briefly showed the image of the hooded traveler.

"The Sun," Ember finished as she stopped twirling her tarot card between her fingers.

"So what are we...are we waiting for someone?" Jack stuttered. "Wh-Why are we just-"

"Door's locked," the other three adults replied at the same time while gesturing toward apartment 6A.

"Oh, no. Nothing, nothing's ever locked," Jack dismissed as he stepped around the others.

Jack crouched in front of the door, pulled two metal picks out of his satchel, and began fiddling with the old lock.

Meanwhile, the woman turned towards Ember.

"Oh I'm sorry, Danny was so busy being an arrogant control freak that we never got your name, sweetie," the woman spoke up.

Ember chuckled at the redhead's friendliness and thinly-veiled jab at her ex, who rolled his eyes at the insult.

"It's Ember," the Irish girl supplied as she shook the woman's hand.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Ember. I was starting to worry I'd be the only girl here. I'm Henley."

"Wait!" Ember interrupted. "Aren't you the one who did that piranha tank escape trick last night in Los Angeles?!"

Henley smirked smugly as she cast a sideways glance at Daniel, which only deepened his scowl.

"That stunt was bloody awesome!" Ember continued to gush.

"Yeah it was!" Henley agreed. "Literally!"

The two women laughed together, almost like sisters.

"Before the two of you become all joined-at-the-hip," the man in the fedora interjected, "allow me to introduce myself. The name's Merritt, Merritt McKinney. And I've seen you somewhere before."

"I highly doubt it," Ember denied immediately.

"With the immediacy of your answer, now I know we've crossed paths," Merritt surmised. "With that accent, you obviously grew up in Ireland, but you've been living in the States for the last few years, most likely out in the West by the way you're dressed, but you're not tan enough to be a Cali girl , so I'm gonna guess Las Vegas."

"How could you possibly-" Ember panicked.

"You performed in Vegas?!" Henley questioned in amazement.

"Even I couldn't make it there," Daniel snapped bitterly, but below the jealousy, there was an undertone of respect for a fellow entertainer.

"I remember now!" Merritt interrupted. "I saw you three years ago at that club-"

"No you didn't," Ember practically growled with a dangerous spark in her navy blue eyes.

Rather than seem intimidated, Merritt smirked in amusement. As much as he loved revealing other people's secrets, this one was obviously something that needed to come out at its own pace.

"You're right. My mistake," Merritt lied smoothly.

"Um, guys?" Jack interrupted.

The four other magicians turned toward the young man and saw him standing beside the wide-open apartment door. Daniel, who for some reason decided to bring a flashlight, and Henley, who simply used the light on her cell phone, led the way into the apartment, which ended up being worse than they expected.

"Eh, it still beats my old flat," Ember commented.

 _*{o}*_

 **I planned on finishing the whole scene to where it stops in the movie, but considering I just spent my entire weekend writing a 10 page paper and I still have four days left in exam week, I didn't feel like spending another couple hours watching and rewatching a five minute clip when I should be cramming for my chemistry exam. Please please please review and I'll write even sooner.**

 ** _"Trasna ort féin"_ is Gaelic for "go f*** yourself". Normally I would never be that crude, but it seems contextually appropriate. **

**PS accidentally reached same word count as last time**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everybody! I've got a little story for you (no not the Now You See Me one...that one's coming in after the following author's note). Once upon a time, there was a stressed out college student whose life seemed to be an unending cycle of distractions. Adjusting to a whole new semester is tough in general, but for this freshman, it was a constant struggle.** **Before January ended, she already fought and won a battle with the chemistry department over unjust treatment by her lab professor, pulled her GPA up, found a new creative outlet, and escaped an unhealthy relationship (not necessarily in that order).**  
 **She joined The Tab to maintain an extracurricular activity and to keep journalism open as a career path in case pre-med proved to be the death of her. She loved writing for The Tab because people could read her work under her real name and because writing in a playfully sarcastic yet mature voice was thrilling, but it ate up all her writing time that would otherwise be dedicated to a certain fan website. A little later, she also realized that the super-hot Mr. Perfect from her first semester theater class who strung her along for months was a...well I can't say exactly what she found out he was because the language alone would send this story's rating all the way up to M. Let's just say this guy was into our college student when she and her long-distance boyfriend were planning to break up over fall break; promised he would wait for her until after her breakup; kissed her then friendzoned her...THREE TIMES; started dating another girl without telling our heroine (she found out from his friend two weeks later and decided not to mention it); broke up with his girlfriend right before finals and then asked our heroine to hang out but stood her up because of finals; sent her mixed signals during and after Christmas break; and finally had the guts to tell her, right after her nineteenth birthday and right before the freshman ball, that she had become a pest and he wasn't into her anymore. Luckily, she had long suspected this would happen so it didn't throw her off her game too much. Instead, it gave her a reason to stay away from the gym, her former crush's hangout place, and focus on studying for her chemistry exam, which got her her first A in chemistry all year. She would still go to the gym, just not for the sole purpose of staring at a certain Hawaiian Adonis' eight-pack while he benched four times her weight.  
So, after a few weeks of our heroine rediscovering life without an unworthy jerk distracting her, midterms were upon her. Unfortunately, the first Monday of midterms (2/22) started with our college student praying to the porcelain goddess (in other words, throwing up because she caught a stomach bug). After spending 48 hours watching mindless cartoons, napping, puking, and groaning in pain, she suddenly got better but had to jump back into midterm mode...which literally caused an almost-mental-breakdown.  
**

 **Okay, longish story short, that Thursday night (2/25), after spending six hours prepping for and carrying out a chem lab followed by eight hours of writing flashcards for my Introduction to Communication Studies exam and cramming for a chem quiz that I'd just found out about, I just couldn't get any sleep. From 1 am to 7 am, all I did was roll around my bed while trying to fall asleep, but I had visions of Sophists, rhetoric, acids, and bases dancing in my head. Around 3 am, though, I decided to put my overactive brain to use by thinking about what would happen in my next fanfiction update. I spent the next, um, who-knows-how-long typing up notes on my phone so I wouldn't wake up my roommate with the sounds of a laptop keyboard. So, without further delay, allow me to introduce the product of too much studying and not enough sleep...CHAPTER 3!**

 **Oopsie I lied. Just two more tiny delays. Virtual cookies go out to all my new reviewers (Shadow Quil, Mia, LadyLokiHolmes), my new followers (Inj3ctingFandoms, lynnenikko666, Rubii River, 1, LuciansLycanNightShade, SaraSalvatore-Mikaelson, One-Of-A-Kind33, Shadow Quil, Flunits, AnimePrincessRach, skullsarecool, Child-of-Strength, SeleneAlice, Updikegirl, MoonstoneWing, MegsM101, pepperpotsofdoom, Neon-Orange-Ninja-Penguin, mellimon, LadyLokiHolmes, smartymarty417, Like The Cat I Am, spud329, LittleRedCupcake, Debella, funkyauthor), and my new likers (lynnenikko666,** **LuciansLycanNightShade, grapejuice101, swordswift, Skylar97, Shannon the chameleon, skullsarecool, Child-of-Strength, Who cares711, SeleneAlice, Updikegirl, MoonstoneWing, MegsM101, pepperpotsofdoom, Neon-Orange-Ninja-Penguin, mellimon, LadyLokiHolmes, Goddess of Deception, smartymarty417, Like The Cat I Am, LittleRedCupcake).**

 **Disclaimer (this is the last delay, I swear): considering I just wrote over 600 words just summarizing my - I mean, a certain college girl's grueling second semester experience thus far, do you really think I have the time to own a movie that has a sequel coming out this summer?**

 _*Friday, New York City, New York*_

"It's bloody freezing in here!" Ember hissed as the five magicians cautiously worked their way through the mysterious yet disgusting apartment. Suddenly, the Irish girl felt something warm encompass her. Ember turned around to see Jack gently draping his leather jacket over her shoulders.

"Welcome to New York," Jack teased sweetly. "I'm guessing it doesn't get chilly in Vegas."

Ember shivered again, but this time it wasn't from the cold. Stupid dimples! Why did they have to belong to someone who was off-limits?! Luckily, Ember was saved from feeling even more guilty by Henley.

"What's that?" the redheaded woman spoke up as she noticed two small objects sitting in the center of what was probably the living room floor.

"I don't know," Daniel quickly replied as he darted ahead of the rest of the group to check it out.

Right in front of some strange symbol carved into the wooden floor was a folded piece of paper and a single white rose. Danny bent over, picked up the card, unfolded it, and shone his flashlight on the message.

"What's it say?" Merritt asked as he and Henley peeked over Daniel's shoulder.

"'Now you don't'," Daniel read with a skeptical expression.

"My knowledge of American expressions may not be perfect, but isn't there supposed to be something before that?" Ember questioned.

"You don't have to be American to know that," Merritt teased. "You just have to be a magician."

While the others mused over the cryptic note, Henley crouched down to pick up the flower. "'A rose by any other name...'" She waved the flower under Daniel's nose almost tauntingly before backing up and dropping the flower in the glass vase sitting off in the corner.

With a resounding clink, the stem took its place leaning against the glass. Suddenly, water began to creep out from the vase and flow across the floor in a controlled fashion.

"Guys, what's happening?!" Jack asked unsurely.

"The most amazing magic trick ever!" Ember answered with an excited grin as she clapped giddily, holding herself back from jumping like a little girl.

"Whoa," Merritt breathed out as he stared at the logic-defying water.

The five magicians took a few steps back so they could watch the water snake its way across the floor until it reached that random symbol on the ground.

"Whoa!" Daniel repeated as he dropped his bag to the side.

The water streamed across the lines of the symbol and then, all of a sudden, the outline of the symbol gave way to something else. Jack grabbed Ember, who had been the closest to the symbol, by her elbow and jerked her back. Ember squeaked in surprise at the sudden contact, especially since it was rougher than she would expect from Jack.

"It's gas!" Jack exclaimed as clouds rose up from the floor.

Ember started to cover her mouth and hold her breath, but then she recognized that crackling sound. It was the same noise from the strip club when the smoke machine broke and Uncle Rick was too cheap to have it fixed.

"Relax," Merritt spoke up. "It's just dry ice."

Jack sighed in relief and let go of Ember's elbow

"Cool," Henley commented as she gazed in wonder at the demonstration magical mastery.

"Wait, what do you think this is all about?" Daniel inquired as he looked at his fellow magicians.

"Hang on. Hang on," Merritt cut in as he put his fingers to his temples and squeezed his eyes shut.

The other four silently stared at the balding man, waiting for some mind-blowing theory.

Merritt grimaced before opening his eyes with a sigh. "I got nothin'."

"Okay thank you. Thank you for the delay," Daniel retorted.

"I'm just trying to create the space for wisdom," Merritt defended with a circular wave of his hands.

"Danny, be honest, did you do this?" Henley questioned as she walked around the source of the smoke, which was still pouring out, and pointed her flashlight at him almost accusingly.

"No," Daniel denied immediately before looking to Jack. "Wait, did you?"

"I-I wish," Jack responded with a chuckle before turning toward the Irish girl, who was still standing right beside him. "Ember?"

"I specialize in fire, not ice. But at least that explains the chill in here."

"Why didn't anybody ask me if I did it?" Merritt whined.

The remaining four magicians awkwardly evaded answering the question, but their silence was answer enough.

"Oh, great," Merritt scoffed in bemusement.

Meanwhile, Danny was fiddling with the light switch when he noticed something on the door.

"Wow, it really is like my old flat in here," Ember added nonchalantly. "No electricity."

Danny clicked on his flashlight and aimed it at the door, illuminating a strange device that looked like some weird camera.

"Well let's check," Merritt replied as he reached up and twisted one of the bulbs in the rusty chandelier.

The light surprisingly sparked to life, activating the mysterious device on the door along with two more behind Jack and Merritt. Holographic projections flashed in the middle of the room, showing various images of stages, designs, and other spectacular works of pure performer genius. The five magicians simultaneously approached the center of the room.

Henley laughed excitedly. "Blueprints."

"They're incredible," Daniel gawked.

"Who do you think did this?" Jack wondered.

"Somebody with a lot of time on their hands," Ember responded. She and Jack shared a playful grin.

"I don't know who they are, but I really want to meet them," Henley chimed in.

"Hold on, it's a show!" Ember exclaimed in realization.

"Wow!" Merritt breathed out.

While everybody else was busy staring at the architectural designs, Daniel stretched out his hand and tapped the spinning symbol in the middle that matched the one on the floor.

 _"Welcome, young magicians!"_ a voice suddenly boomed.

The five adults spun around, trying to see the source of the sound, but there was nobody there.

Ember wrinkled her nose in confusion. The voice sounded neither male nor female, unlike anything she had ever heard before. Obviously there was somebody speaking, but they had to be doing it through a vocal distorter. Besides, the apartment was tiny and open, way too rundown for any hidden control rooms.

" _Don't bother looking for me,"_ the voice added, as if it had been watching them. _"This is not some cheap Wizard of Oz illusion with the man hiding behind the curtain. This is the magic of modern technology."_

The performers surrendered and turned their full attention back to the hologram.

 _"You have been selected from all over the country for your skills. In case you haven't gotten around to introductions, allow me: J. Daniel Atlas, illusionist."_

Daniel visibly bristled at the fact that he, will all his amazing talent, had been lumped under the title of "illusionist".

" _Merritt McKinney, mentalist and hypnotist."_

Merritt smirked smugly, proud that he had gotten two titles while Daniel only got one.

 _"Henley Reeves, escape artist."_

Daniel scoffed. "Artist? That's a bit of an exaggeration, isn't it?"

Henley gave her ex the worst pair of dagger-eyes that Ember had ever seen. "I've come a long way since my assistant days...Jarvis!"

Daniel's face immediately turned beet red. "You promised you'd never repeat that!" he hissed.

"Oopsie! Guess I forgot," Henley replied in an innocent voice.

 _"Jack Wilder, pickpocket and sleight of hand."_

"Oh, so that's what you do," Ember spoke up.

Jack grinned shyly.

 _"Ember Jinx, fire-dancer."_

"Fire-dancer?" Daniel repeated. "Isn't that just something you see at the circus...or a Hawaiian luau?"

And now Mister Ego had succeeded in pissing off both women in the group.

Smoke practically spurted out of Ember's ears. "For your information, fire-dancing in magic is a rare talent because it involves a mastery of pyrotechnics and acrobatics, but you wouldn't know anything about that, would you...Jarvis the Illusionist?"

If possible, Daniel went even redder.

Luckily, the voice saved the day before any of these magicians could abracadabra each other into oblivion. " _And now that you're all acquainted, allow me to explain your first set of instructions. You will spend the next year or so carrying out tasks with blind obedience. You will receive your first set of directions tomorrow. As for today, you are to adjust to your new lives and get to know each other, because you will be trusting each other with your lives. Until then, I bid you adieu, Five Horsemen."_

And with that, the holographic cameras turned off and the room fell completely silent.

"So...who's on clean-up duty?" Merritt finally spoke up.

"Well I should probably go pack up my apartment first ," Jack responded. "It's over in Brooklyn, but I don't think it's big enough for five."

"Yeah, and I don't think The Eye would appreciate us wasting their, uh, hospitality anyway," Henley agreed.

"Let me get this straight," Daniel cut in, "Jack's gonna go close up his place, which is actually suitable for human life, and we're all gonna move into this cockroach-infested shoebox?"

"Do you want to be in The Eye or not?" Ember challenged.

"So it's agreed, then?" Henley announced. "Danny, Merritt, and I will get to work making this place livable while Ember goes to help Jack move out." Henley glanced at Ember and gave her a mischievous wink.

"Works for me," Jack agreed, completely oblivious to Henley's matchmaking efforts. "Follow me, Ember." Jack held his arm out and led the platinum blonde girl out of the dingy apartment.

"And while you're there," Merritt called out after the two youngest group members, "grab some real furniture!"

"Got it!" Ember hollered back.

Once the door closed, the three older magicians looked at each other.

"Now what?" Daniel said as he crossed his arms.

"Now you grab a broom, Jarvis," Merritt mocked.

 _*{o}*_

"So, Brooklyn?" Ember finally spoke up as the two of them descended the outside staircase.

"Yep."

"Is that walking distance or..."

Jack chuckled. "F-From this part of the city, i-it's more like subway."

"Well, I've always wondered what a New York subway would be like."

 _*{o}*_

"Okay that was anticlimactic," Ember sighed as she and Jack exited the subway tunnel.

"Oh come on," Jack teased. "You can't tell me you didn't find that the least bit exciting."

"Hmm, I've certainly never smelled that many chili cheese dogs before...especially not from someone's rear." Ember grimaced at the memory.

"Y-You'll get used to it," Jack replied with a smile before gesturing toward his apartment building.

The two young magicians climbed upstairs to the second floor and walked down the hall to the corner room. Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a key chain.

"So...you live here alone?" Ember asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Jack questioned as he found the right key and stuck it in the lock.

"Oh, uh, you just mentioned that you had a girlfriend so I figured-"

Jack chuckled again. "Veronica and I have only been dating for a month. We haven't reached a point where we live together, which is probably lucky considering the timing of this whole initiation thing." Jack opened the door and held out his arm to invite Ember inside.

"Okay, officially jealous," Ember commented as she stepped into Jack's apartment.

"Wh-What do you mean?" Jack inquired as he dropped his satchel on to the kitchen counter.

"I wish I could live somewhere as nice as this. In my old flat, even the rats didn't stick around."

And from there, Ember and Jack proceeded to sort Jack's belongings, determining what could be kept, sold, and donated. However, it didn't feel like work. Jack and Ember would joke, play around, and tell each other stories, which slowed down their progress but made it so much more fun. Once they finally knew what was going where, Jack left to buy some boxes and notify his landlord that he was selling his apartment, leaving Ember alone.

"Um, who or what are you s'posed to be?!" a new female voice asked snootily.

Ember whipped around to see a tall girl with beautifully tanned skin and long black hair, just as straight and shiny as a raven wing. She was dressed in the latest style and her makeup looked like she had just come off a runway. She had her arms crossed over her chest angrily and her brown eyes had hardened to pebbles.

"Why are you in my boyfriend's apartment?!" the girl spat out.

Ember's mouth dropped open in shock but also realization. "Oh! You must be-"

"Veron-Veronica?!" Jack exclaimed as he stood at the door with a half-dozen folded-up cardboard boxes in his arms. "Wh-What are you doing here?!"

"Forget what I'm doin' here! What is SHE doin' here?!" Veronica demanded as she pointed her finger at Ember. "Are you cheatin' on me?!"

"N-No! Of course not!" Jack denied. "She's just-"

"I'm his new coworker," Ember jumped in. "And I was just helping him pack up to move into his new employee housing."

"You got a real job?! Jackie, why didn't you just say so?!" Veronica squealed as she flung her arms around the back of the brunette boy's neck, forcing him to drop the boxes, and covered his face with kisses.

Ember couldn't help but look down at her feet. Obviously Jack hadn't been lying about his girlfriend, and now Ember felt like she was intruding. Jack looked over at the Irish girl with an apologetic smile, almost as if he had read her mind.

"Ac-Actually, I've joined with four other magicians," Jack explained when his girlfriend finally gave him some room to breathe.

Veronica pulled back and gave the young man a look. "More magic?! I thought you meant you were gettin' a real job...ya know, one that pays!"

"This will pay!" Jack insisted. "With five magicians of all different specialties, we-we'll be getting paid gigs all the time."

Veronica seemed satisfied with that, but she was still far from pleased. "But why do you have to move?!"

"If I might interrupt here?" Ember finally piped up.

The other two turned toward the platinum blonde, as if just remembering that she was in the room.

"The key to a successful magic troupe is teamwork. By living together, we'll bond and have a bloody awesome act, way better than anything we could get from two hour rehearsals on the weekdays!"

"Exactly!" Jack agreed, grateful that Ember came up with a reasonable explanation that didn't mention anything about The Eye.

"I guess that makes sense," Veronica mumbled. "I mean, the faster you get a half-decent act together, the faster you can afford to take your girlfriend out somewhere nice."

Jack opened his mouth to argue.

"And I mean with money from a paycheck, not from someone else's wallet," Veronica cut in.

Jack's mouth clamped shut and his cheeks flared as he stared at his feet. "I'm, uh, j-just gonna go pack up the bedroom."

The young pickpocket picked up two of the boxes from the floor and scurried out of the main room.

"Ya know that's me, right?" Veronica continued, this time directing her question at Ember.

"Huh?" Ember replied.

"I'm Jack's girlfriend. Don't think I don't see the nicey-nice between you two," Veronica stated.

"Look, Veronica, I don't know how things are in New York, but in Ireland, a male and a female can be friends without having sex."

"Whatevah. The point is I plan on stoppin' by your little practice studio a lot to make sure he stays focused on two things: a real job and me."

"Oh, I guess Jack failed to mention that non-magicians aren't allowed in the apartment. It's how magicians keeps their secrets, well, secret," Ember whispered loudly.

"Step off, McGhosty!"

Ember was planning to be civil because, for some unknown reason, Jack cared about Veronica, but civil went out the window with that last crack.

"McGhosty? That's the best that you could come up with? I thought you would've learned some better insults at Shallow _Soith_ School," Ember retorted sarcastically.

Even though she didn't know what _'soith'_ meant, Veronica was clearly ready to start a catfight.

"Em? Mind giving me a hand in here?" Jack called out from the bedroom.

Ember started toward the other room, but Veronica grabbed the Irish girl's wrist and yanked her back.

"I catch you so much as battin' your big blue eyes in Jackie's direction, I'll knock you on the head so hard you'll have the leprechaun height to match your leprechaun accent!" Veronica hissed.

"Ember?" Jack called again.

"I'll be right there, Yank," Ember yelled back. The platinum blonde then looked the ebony-haired beauty straight in the eye and smirked playfully. "Clearly nobody ever taught you the dangers of playing with fire."

And with that, Ember blew flashpaper fragments at Veronica's face, causing the queen bee from Queens to yelp at the flaming pieces of paper and let go of Ember's wrist. Veronica immediately began inspecting herself for burns, only to realize that the whole thing was just a trick. Ember clicked her tongue and winked mischievously at Veronica before turning on her heel and striding into the bedroom.

This was going to be a long initiation.

 _*{o}*_

 ** _"Soith":_ "B*tch"**

 **Okay so I just spent $3 on YouTube rental fees, $8 on in-flight Wi-Fi, and 1/2 of my spring break writing this chapter, which means you better like it ;).** **Oh and I have a happy ending to our little story. I just got my midterm grades back: 93 on Introduction to Communication Studies, 86 on 19th Century Europe, 100 in Greek Myths, and 86 in Chemistry...YAHOO! And now that I'm academically happy, pretty please leave reviews so I can be artistically happy, too.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey hey hey! Gotta keep this short cuz freshman year is wrapping up and I gotta embrace what's left of it before finals start next week! First of all, wow! I never expected such a positive reaction to this story, but now it has the most followers and second most favorites out of all of my stories! I haven't had this much success for a story since my first Treasure Planet story (which still holds the record at 84 favorites), but that was so long ago that I forgot what it felt like. And because y'all have given me the gift of self-confidence, I'd like to give y'all a little gift, too: VIRTUAL COOKIES FOR EVERYBODY!**

 **Shortbread cookies for my new followers: _tiggytickle, Batmanfood, Girl-of-1000-fandoms, Diana yapi112, Gabriel Nightingale, SleepAroundTheClock, Akatsuki Yukihara, heichou, mayaswaggztvdtwilight123, Georgiek61, everHermione, walisi, booksareforescaping, enchantress99, xoMyName, FieryCaptainSpiderSanta, patricia. bd. 35, Diditop, xMakaix, Gabbygirl317, charlielou1241, Doggygirl1, SkullKey4758_**

 **Sugar cookies for my new favoriters: _SleepAroundTheClock, Akatsuki Yukihara, 1, heichou, mayaswaggztvdtwilight123, fall1ng4u, everHermione, walisi, Clemences-are-so-sexy, xoMyName, FieryCaptainSpiderSanta, patricia. bd. 35, KiddJonesTheQueen, 4eveaquite, Floatingsticks, charlielou1241, Doggygirl1_**

 **Snickerdoodles for my new reviewers: _gothicpoet0615, Shadow Quil, SleepAroundTheClock_ (extra sprinkles on top for your sweet message about my personal life because that "pathetic mixed signals guy" may be a dang good kisser but he has led me on for the last time), _FieryCaptainSpiderSanta, Brianna_**

 **Disclaimer: I've officially declared my major in communication studies - cue the applause - so now I'll have the education to communicate that I don't own "Now You See Me"**

 _*Thursday, February 6, New York City, New York*_

Merritt was sprawled out on the couch of the somewhat-improved apartment provided by The Eye. After a long day, that couch was calling to Merritt's psychic senses. He had just settled down for a nice afternoon nap when he heard the apartment door slam...along with a long string of Gaelic obscenities.

"So...how'd the meeting with Artie go?" Merritt asked casually.

Ember glared at the mentalist before she angrily flung her purse on the kitchen counter.

"I'll take that as a 'not so good'," Merritt guessed.

Ember stormed over; shoved Merritt's feet off the couch, letting them drop to the floor; and flopped down beside him. "If I have to listen to that man crack a joke about the Irish one more time..." Ember's fingers twitched like they were itching to wrap around the throat of the Horsemen's new benefactor.

"Um, didn't he notice you were Irish?" Merritt questioned suspiciously. "I mean, that's kinda the reason we sent you. You UKers gotta stick together, am I right?"

The blonde girl forced a grin. "Right...and if you actually picked up a history book or a newspaper once in a while, you'd know that the real Ireland is NOT part of the UK!"

"Since when?"

Ember slapped the balding man upside the head, knocking off his fedora and causing him to wince. "Since always!"

Merritt managed to catch his hat before it hit the floor. "And yet he's still funding our show so clearly you're doing something right."

Ember quickly stood up from the couch and tangled her hands in her hair as she began pacing furiously around the apartment. "Every time I talk to Tressler, I feel like I've sold my soul to the Brits!" Ember's brogue grew stronger as she launched into another tirade. "I can actually hear me Granda screaming from the grave! I might as well just paint me-self orange and join those traitors in Northern Ireland!"

"Aw!" Merritt cooed. "Sounds like somebody's kilt is on a wee bit too tight."

Ember growled.

"Well you better hurry up and loosen it," Merritt continued as he pushed himself off the couch and ruffled Ember's (now longer) hair playfully. "After all, Saint Patrick's day is next month and we wouldn't want to miss you doing your little leprechaun jig." Merritt held his hands behind his back and started jumping and shuffling like an Irish Step dancer...a really bad Irish Step dancer.

Surprisingly, Ember didn't explode like Merritt expected. Instead, she smirked impishly - just like a leprechaun - and snapped her fingers.

Merritt's fedora suddenly set on fire. He freaked out, flung his hat to the ground, and stomped out the flames. "Okay...I'll admit it...didn't see that one coming."

At that moment, the front door opened - much more quietly than last time - and Jack strolled inside.

"Whoa! Wh-What happened here?" Jack inquired as he noted the burnt crisp of a hat on the floor.

Ember chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Merritt learned that I fight fire with fire."

Jack laughed along. "After over ten months, you'd think he'd know that already."

"Guess he's just a slow learner," Ember joked. "No wonder he's so much older than the rest of us."

"Ooh burn!" Jack exclaimed before the two young adults did their signature handshake.

"Har dee har har," Merritt replied humorlessly. "Enjoy your fun while it lasts. I have a feeling that pretty little smile's gonna drop in about three...two...one."

As if on cue, Jack's cell phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and grinned like a lovesick puppy dog when he saw the caller ID. Sure enough, the corners of Ember's mouth dropped from a smile into a scowl. Jack's dopey grin could only mean that the person on the other end of the line was...

"Veronica, h-hi!" Jack greeted eagerly. He mouthed the word 'sorry' to Ember before he went into the guys' bedroom to take the call.

Ember spun around to face the mentalist. "Why do you enjoy trying to make me miserable?!"

"Why do you enjoy trying to roast my head like a marshmallow?" the balding man countered.

"Touché."

Merritt returned to his napping position on the couch, picked up the remains of his fedora from the floor, and tilted it over his eyes. Meanwhile, Ember gazed in the direction of the guys' room and sighed softly.

"Ya know, the only you'll get your point across to Jackie is to dress up like Avril Lavigne and start singing 'Girlfriend'," Merritt commented without even opening his eyes.

Ember glared at the older man. "First of all, the fact that you even know that song is very disturbing. And second of all, I don't know what you're talking about."

"You can lie to yourself all you want, but you can't lie to a mentalist...or to anybody with eyes"

Ember scoffed. "Clearly that fire burned through to your brain because that's just a bunch of rubbish."

"Deny it all you want. All I'm saying is that I'm seeing some pretty..." Merritt smirked mischievously, "naughty thoughts in that precious little head of yours."

"Actually, those would be your thoughts from your head," Ember retorted. "My relationship with Jack is completely platonic."

"Mhmm," Merritt mumbled, not convinced at all.

"I'm serious!" the Irish girl insisted. "Jack and I are just friends. We tell each other everything."

Merritt lifted up the brim of his hat and arched his eyebrow skeptically. "Everything?" he challenged, referring to Ember's past employment.

Ember chewed her lip nervously. "Okay, maybe not everything...but we're still best friends."

Merritt dropped his fedora back over his eyes. "Then why do you act so jealous every time the Veronica-issue comes up?"

"Because Jack deserves so much better than that...that..." Ember's face pinched up like she was trying to find the right words to describe that she-devil.

"If you're gonna start ranting again, can you at least do it in English this time?" Merritt requested in a chipper voice. "Not that I don't enjoy listening to the language of drunk Irish sailors, but I don't feel like looking up a translation later."

Ember scowled. She certainly had a few choice words for Merritt...but Jack chose that moment to walk in, saving Ember from having to wash her mouth out with soap later.

"Sorry about that, guys," Jack apologized as he slid his phone back into his pocket. "So, what'd I miss?"

"Merritt was just being a perv," Ember chirped.

Merritt shoved his hat aside and gave the blonde girl an expression that said, _'Hey! Why're you throwing me under the bus?!'_

"Then again, what else is new?" Ember added with a side glare.

At that, Merritt shrugged in surrender and returned to his nap, knowing he couldn't exactly protest that one.

"Anyway," Jack spoke up, eager to change subjects, "Ember, I-I was won-wondering if, uh, you had any plans this afternoon?"

"Nope, free as a bird."

"Great!" Jack replied with a smile. "Me and Veronica's anniversary is coming up next week and I wanna get her something really special, and since you're a girl, I figured you would know what I should look for."

Ember's eyes lost their sparkle. "Um, next week?"

"Yep!"

Ember glanced over at Merritt, who had sat up from the couch. The two of them shared a sympathetic look.

"As in the week of Valentine's Day?" Ember questioned.

"Uh huh!"

"As in the same week we're going to be in Paris?"

Jack's face darkened in realization. "I'm dead."

"Considering you're tarot card was Death, seems appropriate, doesn't it?" Merritt teased from the couch.

Ember hissed at the balding man.

But Jack continued like he hadn't even heard Merritt. "What am I gonna do?! I've already neglected Veronica so much this year! She's gonna kill me!"

"And that is why I don't have a girlfriend," Merritt spoke up.

Ember raised an eyebrow, just like Merritt had done earlier, and looked down at the man on the couch. "Yeah," she drawled sarcastically, "that's why."

"Guys, be serious! How am I supposed to tell Veronica that I won't even be in the country for our anniversary?!" Jack panicked

"Like this," Merritt proposed as he stood up from the couch and approached Jack. "Wait until you're on the plane, about to take off, and then text her and say 'Hey babe. Gotta jet to Paris. Happy anniversary. Love, Jack'. That way you have to turn your phone off before she can call you back to scream at you and you'll be a whole ocean away from the scorned woman."

Both Jack and Ember's jaws dropped to the floor. How could Merritt be twice their age yet twice as oblivious when it came to relationships?

"No, you see, this is why you don't have a girlfriend," Ember emphasized.

Merritt replied with his troublemaking smirk. "You're absolutely right! Jack, this is a conversation that you need to have in person. I want you to go over to Victoria's-"

"Veronica," Jack corrected.

"-Veronica's place right now and tell her the bad news, but soften the blow by offering to celebrate your anniversary early!" Merritt finished as he flung Jack's leather jacket over the young man's shoulders and pushed him toward the front door.

"Wow," Ember responded. "I never thought I'd say this, but great plan, Merritt."

Merritt looked back to Ember and his silver eyes glinted mischievously. "And it gets even better...because you're going to go with him!"

"WHAT?!" Ember cried out.

"If you're there, then Valerie-"

"Veronica!"

"-Veronica will know that Jackie boy has a legitimate excuse for abandoning her."

"Then why don't you just go with him?" Ember questioned pointedly.

"I got plans," Merritt answered nonchalantly.

Before Ember could even begin to touch that pile of malarkey, Jack swooped in to rescue Merritt.

"Come on, Em," the brunette boy pleaded. "Y-You've already saved me once with Veronica with your quick-thinking. If I'm with you, she'll know I'm not going off to spend Valentine's Day with another girl."

Ember felt like she had just been punched in the stomach.

"Ouch!" Merritt muttered under his breath.

Jack suddenly realized what had come out of his mouth. "W-Wait, Em, you know that's not what I meant!" Jack babbled when he saw the crestfallen look on Ember's face. He took the blonde girl's hands in his own and squeezed them tightly as he stared into her eyes. "Please, Ember, won't you do this for me?"

Looking into those hazel eyes, Ember could feel her resolve cracking. "Fine."

Jack threw his arms around Ember, lifted her up off the floor, and spun her around. "Ember, you're a lifesaver!" He gave her a brotherly peck on the cheek before racing to the closet to grab her coat.

Meanwhile, Ember slowly pivoted around to face her bald associate. "I'll get you for this," she threatened, venom dripping from her every word as Jack walked up with Ember's coat.

"Have fun," Merritt chirped innocently. "Tell Vivian I say hi."

"It's Veronica!" Jack and Ember yelled back.

As the two youngest Horsemen headed out, Ember noticed the sound of Merritt making kissy noises behind her. The blonde girl snapped her fingers and the last thing she and Jack heard as they closed the door was the middle-aged magician squealing like a little girl because, once again, his fedora had burst into flames.

 _*{0}*_

After what felt like an eternal subway ride, Jack and Ember arrived in Queens. As Jack led the Irish girl through the foreign streets, Ember couldn't help but feel like she had teleported back to Vegas with all the women in skimpy clothes throwing themselves at men in sporty cars. Finally, after passing over a dozen apartment buildings just as bad as the one the Horsemen lived in, Jack stopped in front of one of the more ostentatious buildings.

"Should've known that gold-digger would live here," Ember mumbled under her breath.

"You say something?" Jack asked as he opened the door for the blonde girl.

"Nothing," Ember immediately denied. "I was just thinking about how in the time since we've gotten off the subway, we've passed enough crimes to keep the police in my hometown busy for a fortnight."

"Vegas?" Jack questioned in confusion.

Ember chuckled. "My real hometown, Killarga...County Leitrim...the place where I got this accent."

Jack laughed along with her before realizing that this was the first time in the almost eleven months they had known each other that Ember actually named the place where she grew up...and judging by the way her skin paled, Ember had just realized that, too. The two of them stopped in front of the elevator and Jack gently pressed the up button.

"So what's it like there?" Jack inquired.

"Where?" Ember countered as she stared up above the elevator door, hoping he would forget.

"Killarga," Jack replied in a flawless Irish brogue.

Ember's eyebrows shot all the way up to her hairline as she gawked at the Brooklyn native. She knew Jack was a good mimic, but she didn't know he was that good. Jack tried to stifle his amusement, but the look on Ember's face was too much and he burst into laughter just as the elevator door opened up to reveal three little old ladies. They fell to the ground and panted heavily as they began to berate the reckless youngsters.

"Young man, why are you-"

"-trying to scare people to death?!"

"Disgraceful! Do you enjoy trying to give heart attacks to your elders?!"

"Trying?! Speak for yourself, Sylvia!"

"In our day, young people knew to respect their elders!"

"Your parents should be ashamed of you!"

Once the older women finished their tongue-lashing, they shuffled out the front door, still muttering about the incivility of today's youth as they dusted off their pastel wool coats and straightened their curls.

"You certainly have a way with women, Yank," Ember teased with a smirk as she strolled into the elevator.

"And you have a way with avoiding my questions," Jack quipped before tapping the button for the eighth floor.

"Fine," Ember sighed exasperatedly, "but only because you pronounced Killarga correctly."

"I learned from listening to the best," Jack replied with a smile.

Ember giggled as the doors opened up and the two magicians strolled down the hallway. Jack knocked on the door of room 8G. They heard an exasperated squeal from the other side.

"It's about time, Cam! My shower's still broken!"

The door flung open to reveal a girl in a fluffy pink bathrobe with matching slippers, hair tied up in curlers, and a green face-mask.

"You were supposed to be here-" Veronica froze the second she saw that her guest was not her landlord, but her boyfriend.

"Um, hey Veronica?" Jack greeted awkwardly.

"Jackie?!" Veronica squeaked before slamming the door in their faces. "What're ya doin' here?! You're s'posed to call me first if you wanna drop by unexpectedly so I can look perfect when ya surprise me!"

Ember furrowed her brow in confusion. "She does realize how dense she sounds, right?"

"Stay outta this, lepreb*tch!" Veronica screeched from the other side of the door.

"Lepreb*tch?!" Ember spat out. "Oh that is it! Move aside, Yank! I don't care if she's your girlfriend, I'm going to toss this prime example of New York's trashiest right where she belongs: on the curb!"

"WHAT?! Close your eyes, Jackie-poo! I don't want ya to see me like this when I rip that tramp's bleach-blonde hair out by its dark roots!"

"Did I say the curb?" Ember questioned innocently. "I meant the incinerator!"

"Girls, girls, stop!" Jack insisted. "Em, c-can you just give me a second?"

Ember was obviously still steaming, but she let out a deep breath and took a few steps down the hallway.

Jack turned back to the apartment. "Veronica, sweetheart, can you please just let me in? I don't care what you look like right now. There's something we need to talk about."

 _*{0}*_

And so, while the two lovebirds had their little chat, Ember stood out in the hallway, leaning up against the wall while pretending to text somebody important so creepers on the floor wouldn't stop to hit on her. Suddenly, her phone began to ring for real.

"Yeah?" Ember greeted.

 _"How's it going over there?"_ Merritt asked innocently.

"Well, it's been about ten minutes and Veronica finally stopped screaming."

 _"That's good."_

"But now she's moved on to smashing things and ignoring all the complaints from the neighbors," Ember added.

 _"...Sounds like she's taking the news pretty well, then."_

"Definitely better than I expected," Ember chirped.

The sound of a slamming door echoed through the halls.

"Gotta go!" Ember quickly hung up the call and resumed her chillaxing position.

Jack dragged his feet behind him as he shuffled down the hallway. His clothes were torn and he had a soon-to-be black eye, a split lip, and a bloody nose.

"So...how'd it go?" Ember casually inquired without looking up from her phone.

"Sh-She dumped me."

 _*{0}*_

 **Four things I would like to say:**

 **1) apparently "chillaxing" is a real word according to autocorrect**

 **2) Killarga is actually the town where my great-grandfather came from before immigrating to America and marrying my Irish immigrant great-grandmother and so on and so forth (like I'd actually tell you my full family tree)**

 **3) I planned to take this chapter all the way up to the Vegas show, but considering it was this long before they even got to France, I figured I'd give you this part now and the rest after my exams...and hopefully before I start my summer job**

 **4) I love y'all so much and - unlike the guy who invited me to be his date to his sailing club formal - I promise not to ignore you...so if you have any feedback or compliments in the form of reviews, I'm all ears**


	5. Chapter 5

**Littlegirlwarrior here, reporting live from Vacationville! It's Memorial Day weekend, and y'all know what that means**

 **And my chapterly displays of appreciation go to the sources of my new follows ( _Faby0411_ , _sydhuman_ , _Lindsay. ponce2011_ , _carrycherry61_ , _AvengersPrincess15_ , _HalicanDrops_ , _DZ2_ , _suntan140_ , _Samantha334_ , _super6star21aol. com_ , _DazyFleur_ , _dstnycollins1738_ , _kittkattt_ , _I. am. DivergentMortalWhovian_ , _ElliGordon_ , _BlueNarutoLover23_ , _Little. Cinnamonroll),_ my new favorites ( _Faby0411_ , _carrycherry61_ , _AvengersPrincess15_ , _bella9_ , _DZ2_ , _ScottDerekLover_ , _Samantha334_ , _LivForMusic_ , _dstnycollins1738_ , _I. am. DivergentMortalWhovian_ , _ElliGordon_ , _BlueNarutoLover23_ , _KittenTigerz_ ), and my new reviews ( _grapejuice101_ , _FieryCaptainSpiderSanta_ , _Lulu, Guest_ ). Also, big thanks go out to _spud329_ for sending me that PM asking if I planned to keep this story going, to which the answer is a resounding HECK YA!**

 **Disclaimer: if I owned Now You See Me, I would've spent the last year and a half in England, China, etc. cuz I would've cast myself as Isla Fisher's replacement but obviously I didn't so therefore I don't**

 _*Monday, February 10, somewhere above France*_

 _"Mesdames et Messieurs, nous sommes sur le point de commencer notre descente dans l'Aéroport de Charles-de-Gaulle. Veuillez ranger toutes les tables de plateau, gardez votre siège en position verticale et fixer toutes les ceintures de sécurité. Nous espérons que vous apprécierez votre séjour à Paris. Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin our descent into Charles de Gaulle Arport. Please stow all tray tables, keep your seatbacks in the upright position, and fasten all seatbelts. We hope you enjoy your stay in Paris."_

Jack robotically followed the flight attendant's instructions before he returned to mindlessly staring out the window. Meanwhile, across the aisle, all Ember could do was watch her best friend wallowing in his sadness.

"Hey," Daniel hissed, pulling Ember out of her thoughts. "What's going on with Jack?"

"Since when do you care?" Ember retorted.

"All week, Jack's been acting like his puppy was just hit by a car or something. Clearly he's in need of a mano e mano conversation, but I need some context in order to do that."

Ember didn't buy Daniel's brotherly-concern act for one minute. "Well what makes you think I know?"

Daniel quirked his eyebrow and gave the Irish girl a skeptical look.

"Okay I know," Ember admitted, "but what makes you think I'd betray his confidence by telling you?"

"Because I know you want to be part of the Eye just as much as me; because you know that in order to get into the Eye, everything this week has to be carried out flawlessly; and because-"

"And because he knows that if you won't tell him, I will," Merritt cut in as he leaned over from his seat in Jack's row.

Suddenly, one of the flight attendants walked up. "Excuse me, monsieur, but you need to be in your seat with your seatbelt securely fastened for landing."

"Yeah sure, but, uh, how about after we land, you and I deplane together and you can show me around the City of Lights?" Merritt clicked his tongue as he gave her a flirtatious wink.

The flight attendant smiled venomously. "Nice try, monsieur, but as you Americans would say, I am way out of your league. Now, s'il vous plaît, fasten your seatbelt." She continued making her way down the aisle, pretending she didn't notice Merritt staring at her backside.

Ember looked at the balding magicians disdainfully "You really have no shame, do you?"

"Nope, so unless you want everyone to hear the tale of Ronnieo and Jackiet from my lips, you better start talkin'."

Ember quickly shooed the older man away and turned back to the others. "Alright fine, I'll tell you...but only because mentalists tend to fudge the details." Henley and Daniel leaned in to listen and Ember lowered her voice so Jack, even though he was already zoned out and plugged into his music, wouldn't hear. "Look, about a year ago, Jack started dating this trashy girl from Queens named Veronica. I had the 'pleasure' of meeting her back when I was helping Jack move out of his place in Brooklyn and she immediately got all territorial."

"Well she did walk in on what looked like her boyfriend moving in with another girl," Henley argued. "Getting territorial is a perfectly normal reaction. I mean, if I found out while Danny and I were dating-"

Daniel immediately shot a look at Henley while Ember and Merritt perked up, waiting for the ex-lovebirds to finally admit out loud that they were ex-lovebirds.

"-hypothetically, of course, because we never ever dated," Henley denied." As I was saying, though, if Danny and I were dating - which we didn't-

"Didn't!" Daniel emphasized.

"-and I found out that Danny was about to move in with an attractive young woman, I'd probably get a little upset, too."

"And that is why we never did date and never will date," Daniel insisted.

Ember rolled her eyes while Merritt had a look on his face that said _'Psh! They say that now.'_

"Anyway," Ember interjected, trying to steer the conversation back to its original topic, "Veronica let it slide at the time when she found out Jack was moving in with a group of magicians so he could make more money, but she still pretty much threatened my life if I made a move on Jack."

"Wait, she threatened you?!" Henley exclaimed. "Forget I ever defended her!"

"Yet Jack still fawned over her!" Ember griped. "Then, last week, he realized we were going to be in Paris during his anniversary and stopped by Veronica's to apologize and ask if they could celebrate before he left or after he got back or something but..."

"Let me guess, she didn't take it well?" Henley replied.

"Let's just say she didn't just break up with him...she broke him," Ember explained cautiously as she mimicked a punch to the face.

"Hold up, all that was from a chick?!" Daniel jumped in as he jerked his thumb toward Jack's face. "I just thought he picked the wrong pocket."

"He wishes!" Merritt piped up. "As they say, 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'...especially a New York woman."

"Well whatever fury he experienced from this Veronica chick, he better get over it and fast," Daniel hissed. "In order for this plan to be a success, we need absolute focus from everyone."

 _*Wednesday, February 12, Paris, France*_

Ember poked her head around the corner and caught sight of a middle-aged man in a suit, his dark curls graying at the edges. Ember pulled the driver's license - or as the French called it, a permis de conduire - out of her coat pocket. It was a perfect match.

"I've got the target in sight," Ember spoke into her earpiece. "Time to move in."

"Do we have visual confirmation?" Daniel questioned from his hiding spot down the street. "Jack?"

Meanwhile, Jack was sitting by the window of their hotel suite, which had a perfect vantage point overlooking the plaza, but the stakeout was the last thing on his mind at the moment.

"Jack!" Daniel snapped.

"Gah!" Jack exclaimed as he fell out of his chair, startled by the loud noise from his walkie-talkie.

"Jack, we need to know right now! Is that Etienne Forcier?! Is that the guy whose pocket you picked leaving the bank yesterday?!" Daniel demanded.

Jack scrambled to pick up his walkie-talkie and binoculars. "Wh-Where is he?!"

"About to go down the stairs," Ember replied as she brushed aside the stray hairs from her wig. "Danny, it looks like the picture on the driver's license! That should be enough!"

"No!" Daniel dismissed. "We have to be one hundred percent sure or else we're screwed!"

"We're running outta time, man!" Merritt muttered into his earpiece from his position at the middle of the staircase. "If we wait any longer, we'll lose our chance! Jack, is this our guy or not?"

Jack finally focused his binoculars on the right spot and found the target. "That's him. That's Etienne Forcier. You're good to go."

And so, as Etienne descended the staircase, the Horsemen took their positions. Merritt was the first to go. He slid past Etienne at the top of the stairs.

"Viva Las Vegas," Merritt muttered.

Even though he said it in passing, the hypnotic effect of Merritt's words could already be seen in Etienne's pensive expression. As the Frenchman continued down the stairs, he took note of Daniel, who was casually tossing a chip from the MGM Grand up and down in his hand. Daniel let the chip linger in front of Etienne's face for a moment before snatching it out of the air. Again, Etienne appeared confused, but he continued on his way...only to run into Henley.

"Oh! Pardon, Monsieur!" Henley apologized quickly as she clasped the Frenchman's shoulders then head in her hands.

"Excusez-moi," Etienne replied curiously as the beautiful redhead rushed up the stairs.

Henley waited until Etienne was out of range before she reported her success into her earpiece. "I got his measurements. Em, finish the job."

As the Frenchman turned the corner at the bottom of the stairs, he noticed an attractive young brunette wearing designer sunglasses, a pleated gray skirt, black tights, heeled gray boots, a white button-down shirt, and a navy blazer with a matching tie. She had a backpack slung over her shoulder and she was chatting on her cell phone.

"C'est vrai, Mimi, mon papa va nous voler tout ça à Las Vegas pour mon anniversaire!" Ember chirped in flawless French. "Viens, tu as à venir! Les Cinq Cavaliers vont être plus grand que l'incroyable famille Kardashian!...N'a pas entendu? Célébrités de télévision réalité sont sortis, magiciens en. Il est partout dans les médias sociaux." Ember laughed as she continued past Etienne, but as soon as she was out of sight, she ducked around a corner to watch.

The Frenchman pulled his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and dialed a number. "Chérie, j'ai juste pensé à l'endroit parfait pour nos vacances le mois prochain."

Ember smirked victoriously. "Okay guys, phase one of the Paris plan is now complete. Back to the hotel to prepare for phase two."

 _*{0}*_

The door of the Horsemen's suite swung open and the four magicians strolled inside, grinning and laughing about a job well done.

"Mimi?!" Merritt teased between laughs. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"I'll have you know Mimi is a perfectly legitimate name," Ember insisted. "Besides, it was either that or Gigi and I think that would've been too obvious."

"Name-drops aside, I'd say that went pretty well," Daniel admitted before glaring at the young magician still sitting by the window, "...no thanks to Jack almost wrecking the plan with his lack of focus."

Upon hearing his name, Jack turned around to face the others, but the only thing that caught his eye was the beautiful girl with the long black hair. "Veronica?" he breathed out before leaping chair and rushing toward Ember.

"N-No Jack it's-" Ember started, but she was cut off by Jack pressing his lips up against hers.

The other three magicians just stood there, gaping at what was occurring right in front of them. Ember, on the other hand, completely froze in place, unable to react to the fact that Jack was kissing her. Eventually, Merritt couldn't help himself so he tugged a little on Ember's wig to pull it off balance. As Jack finally pulled away, Ember's ebony wig fell to the ground and Jack's giddy grin vanished the moment he recognized that platinum blonde hair.

"Em-Ember?" Jack murmured.

"I guess my disguise was more effective that I thought, considering my own teammate didn't recognize me," Ember joked weakly, trying to alleviate the awkwardness.

"Y-Yeah," Jack stammered. "Good cos-costume. It def-definitely made me think you were...someone else."

Uncomfortable silence pulsed through the room.

Merritt yawned exaggeratedly. "Man am I tired! Must be the jet lag. I think I'm gonna go take a nap. Au revoir!" And with that, Merritt dashed into his room.

Henley was next. "And I just remembered that I have to scan Etienne's signature onto the playing card and print out his show ticket and handle some other logistics so, um, I'll go do that." Henley grabbed the papers from the coffee table and ran out the door to the hotel's business center.

Even though Daniel wasn't the compassionate type, he still knew that the youngest Horsemen needed some privacy. "And I'm gonna go, uh, finalize the details for our shows at the end of the month."

And so, for the first time in a while, Jack and Ember were left completely alone to discuss their relationship.

"Look, Em, I'm-" Jack began.

"There's no need to apologize," Ember interrupted. "I get it."

"Y-You do?" Jack almost squeaked.

"Yeah," Ember replied a little too perkily. "I mean, you've been pining for Veronica all week and then I walk in here, looking just like Veronica, and you reacted just as any person would after a break-up like that."

"Actually, I-I was gonna say-"

"That we should pretend it never happened?" Ember cut in. "I agree. Now, I'm going to go check on my equipment for tomorrow. Can't afford to make any mistakes. Isn't that right, mate?"

"Yeah...wouldn't want any confusion," Jack murmured.

"Exactly!" the Irish girl agreed with a nervous chuckle as she accidentally backed into a potted plant, nearly knocking it to the ground. "Well, uh, I'm going to go to my room now to, um, do what I said I'd do, so...bye!"

Jack sank into the couch, cradling his head in his hands.

"Well that was humiliating," a man chirped from behind the heartbroken boy.

"Whoa!" Jack exclaimed as he whipped around to see Merritt standing beside the couch. "I thought you were going to bed," Jack wheezed, trying to catch his breath from his surprise.

"Nah, things are way more interesting out here." The balding magician sat down next to Jack and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "So what's on your mind, Jackie boy?"

"You're the mentalist, shouldn't you already know the answer to that?" Jack deflected weakly.

Merritt shrugged. "Yeah, but it can be just as fun hearing someone say it out loud."

Jack sighed. "This past week, I-I've just been a mess, but now, I'm a wreck! Not only did I nearly blow the whole mission, but I actually confused Ember for Veronica...and kissed her...in front of everybody...a-and I liked it!"

Merritt couldn't help but smirk as he glanced back toward Ember's room. He could think of someone else who probably liked it, too. "What about Ember?" Merritt asked casually.

"Sh-She just waved it off, said we should pretend it never happened. She even called me 'mate'."

"Well that's a good thing, isn't it?" Merritt questioned innocently. "It means that even though you planted one on her, she's willing to overlook it and not let it ruin your friendship. It means you're still safely in the friend-zone!"

"But what if the friend-zone isn't where I want to be anymore?" Jack muttered.

Merritt sighed. Why did these kids have to be so freakin' shy about their feelings?!

Meanwhile, on the other side of Ember's door, the platinum blonde slid against the wall until she was sitting on the ground. Hot, sweet, AND a great kisser?! Was there anything wrong with Jack?! All Ember wanted to do was run back out there, grab Jack by the shirt, shove him up against the wall, and start snogging him like there was no tomorrow. The only thing stopping Ember from doing so was the knowledge that Jack had only kissed her in the first place because, in his emotional state, he thought Ember was his ex-girlfriend, who Jack was still misguidedly but madly in love with. Ember pulled herself off the ground, shuffled over to her bed, and fell into a deep sleep, still able to feel the warmth of Jack's lips on her own.

 _*Thursday, February 13, Paris, France*_

Ember woke up the next morning to find a bland gray jumpsuit, cap, and black work boots sitting on the foot of her bed. No matter how emotionally conflicted she was from the night before, she couldn't contain her laughter when she saw that the nametag said _Gigi_. She slipped on the uniform and crept out of her room, but she heard the sound of soft snoring in the main room. Ember tiptoed toward the noise and found Jack sleeping on the couch. She sighed, smiling at how sweet and peaceful he looked when he was asleep.

Suddenly, there was a soft hand on Ember's shoulder. Ember nearly jumped from the surprise, but she managed to stifle her gasp. She whipped around to see Henley, smiling gently at the younger woman.

"You have to talk to him, Em," Henley murmured. "You two can't just pretend last night didn't happen."

Ember sighed. "What do you expect me to do, Red? Sabotage our whole friendship and possibly our initiation into the Eye by saying 'Hey Jack. I know you only kissed me because you thought I was your ex-girlfriend, but how about we do that again some time?'"

"Well you would probably say it a little more nicely, but yes!" Henley insisted in hushed tones.

Ember took one last look at the sleeping young man before shaking her head and changing the subject. "Sorry to disappoint, Henley, but I've already got plans for today...with a bank vault."

 _*{0}*_

Ember stared up at Crédit Républicain, taking a moment to admire its structural beauty. Her parents would've...

" _Yo, Frank Gehry, we can buy a postcard from the gift shop later. We've got work to do and a schedule to keep,_ " Merritt interrupted in a playful mocking tone over the earpiece from his lookout position at a café down the street.

The Irish girl shook her head to gather her thoughts before she circled around back to the employee entrance. She unlocked the door using a keycard Jack had swiped from an employee. Ember tilted her head away from security cameras as she walked through the bank. The Horsemen's mystery benefactor had gotten blueprints of the building so Ember knew exactly where she needed to go. She turned a few corners until she finally reached the vault. She swiped "her" card on the lock for the vault and walked right in without the guards giving "Gigi" a second look. Looks like Uncle Rick was right about something after all: if you act like you belong, they'll believe you belong.

"I'm here," Ember whispered into her wire once the doors closed behind her.

" _Hmm I guess you're a better actress than I thought,"_ Daniel admitted grudgingly.

"Har dee har har," Ember chuckled humorlessly.

"S _top it, Danny_ ," Henley retorted. " _It's not like you've ever snuck past high-tech European security before_."

" _Whatever. Ember, just make sure you get the whole vault on your hat cam_."

"I know," Ember murmured.

" _And make sure you attach the timer where it won't be seen by the bank's investigators_."

"I know," Ember mumbled in a slightly more irritated tone.

" _And make sure the timer is set for exactly 11:59 pm on February 27_."

"I know!" Ember muttered through clenched teeth. "Daniel, you may be an above-average illusionist, but I'm the pyrotechnics master. You can patronize me all you want when you become a master of bomb technology, but until then, shove it!"

The sound of Henley and Merritt laughing echoed through the earpiece. Ember could practically hear Daniel stammering angrily.

" _You little-"_

"Bye bye," Ember chirped before plucking the earwig from her ear and dropped it in her coveralls pocket.

The platinum blonde magician walked in a full circle, making sure the hidden camera in her hat picked up every detail of the vault so the set in the MGM Grand was built in the exact same manner. Once Ember finished her surveillance, she moved in on the vault's temperature regulator. She dropped her toolbox to the floor and crouched beside it. Ember pulled a tiny device out from a hidden slot in the toolbox and fitted it to the back of the thermostat.

Flash-paper was activated by heat, normally body heat but that obviously wasn't an option. Instead, on the night of the Vegas show, the timer would activate the thermostat in the vault, increasing the temperature in the room so the flash-paper would burn up without a trace. Then, after a few hours, the timer would deactivate and the thermostat would drop back to room temperature by the time the bank opened in the morning, leaving no evidence that the Horsemen had ever been there. Ember had voiced her concerns about the vault's security cameras picking up on the heist, but their contact from the Eye assured her that the cameras would not be an issue...but he never explained how.

Ember smirked, pleased with her work; stood up; and strode out of the vault with her chin up. She had done her part. The rest was up to a certain redhead and a certain swollen head.

 _*Friday, February 14, Paris, France*_

Daniel and Henley were laying in the air vents of the Paris Mint, more specifically of the Paris Mint's shipping offices.

"I can't read the screens," Daniel whispered. "Give me the binoculars."

Henley sighed, reached down to her boot, and pulled out the mini binoculars. "Would it kill you to say 'please'?" she hissed as she handed the binoculars to her ex-boyfriend.

Daniel scowled, but he let the jab slide. Instead, he just focused on insulting the tiny binoculars. "Really?" he challenged.

"I knew your swollen head would take up too much space in these cramped air vents to bring the big ones."

Daniel rolled his eyes and aimed the binoculars at the secretary's computer. "Okay, so we're looking for truck 5061, parked in spot J. Let's go."

The former lovers crawled back through the ducts as quickly as they could. Once they reached the vent above the garage, they dropped from the ceiling and raced across the room until they found the truck heading for their destination.

"Hurry, get in!" Daniel ordered in a hushed tone.

Daniel and Henley checked for guards before jumping into the back of the truck. They wiggled underneath the platform where the money would be placed any second.

Daniel smirked at the close quarters. "Well, while we're down here..."

"Don't even think about it," Henley warned.

"I'm just saying-"

"Shh!" Henley hissed.

"But I haven't-"

"Shut up! The guards are coming!"

 _*{0}*_

Ember and Jack were sitting on the front of their rented SUV on top of the bridge under which the mint's armored truck would be passing any minute.

"I-It's beautiful, isn't it? So serene," Jack commented quietly as the two young magicians stared at the stars.

"Mhmm," Ember mumbled in agreement. "Reminds me of the times my parents took me star-gazing as a girl."

"You know, you never got around to telling me about Killarga."

Ember groaned. Once again, she had been hoping he had forgotten about that.

"Look, I'll tell you my biggest secret if you tell me yours," Jack offered.

"You trust me that much?" Ember murmured.

"We've been working a-and living together for almost a year...y-you haven't given me a reason not to."

Ember blinked back her tears. Nobody had ever trusted her that much before.

"Y-You don't have to tell me right now," Jack added when he saw the fear in those navy blue orbs. "You can take your turn whenever you're ready."

Relief washed over Ember. "O-Okay. What's your secret, then?"

Jack sighed as he leaned back up against the window. "Back when I was a kid, a-a few kids would bully me f-for my stutter. Th-That's when I taught myself how to pickpocket, t-to get back at them, b-but that made them even angrier...s-so I learned how to use playing cards-"

"To protect yourself," Ember jumped in.

Jack nodded gravely. "I've never told anybody that before...not even Veronica. Sh-She used to tease me for my stutter...but she always insisted she did it as a sign of affection."

Ember didn't know what to say, so instead she just wrapped her arms around Jack, and to her surprise, he returned her embrace immediately. It took a little while, but eventually they pulled apart.

"It's kind of ironic," Jack admitted with a weak grin as he gazed back up at the night sky.

"What is?"

"Here I am, in the most romantic city in the world...on the most romantic day of the year...sitting under the stars...a-and I don't mind that Veronica's not here."

"Really?" Ember questioned, trying to hide her giddiness.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "I-I saw the signs that Veronica was using me, but sh-she was so beautiful that I just denied it."

Ember hesitated, but eventually she took the brunette man's hands in her own. "I'm so sorry, Jack."

"B-But there's a silver lining," Jack responded as he turned to look Ember in the eyes. "If I have to spend Valentine's Day in Paris, I'm glad it's with you."

" _Uh, guys?"_ Merritt cut in over the earpiece. " _As much as I hate to break up this touching moment, our guests just arrived_."

Ember gasped in horror. "Were you listening this whole time?!"

" _Um, that's the point of earpieces_."

Ember sighed as she and Jack shared one last look. "I guess it's go time."

Jack nodded in agreement and the two of them hopped off the hood of the SUV, pulled open the doors, got inside, and drove to the meeting place under the bridge.

Merritt turned on the police lights, notifying the truck's driver to stop, and dismounted his motorcycle. As the truck slowed to a halt, Merritt lifted the visor on his helmet and nodded at the driver...who nodded off at the wheel. In the back of the truck, the other guard stood up to find out the cause of the delay, but a quick syringe to the back of the ankle by Henley took care of him. Daniel and Henley pressed up on the trap doors, pushing aside the money and the unconscious guard, just as Merritt and Jack opened up the back doors of the armored truck.

"Hey boys," Henley greeted with a smile.

"Ahem!" Ember coughed. She was leaning up against the side of the SUV, and with one click of the keys, the trunk opened to reveal stacks of fake Euros.

"And sis," Henley added.

Ember grinned happily.

"Can we handle labels later?" Daniel interrupted. "We've only got an hour to make the switch before the guards wake up."

Both women rolled their eyes in irritation, but they did as they were told. The girls stuffed the real money into the SUV while the guys tossed and restacked the fake money on the platform in the truck.

"Dang, Ember!" Merritt drawled as he inspected the flashpaper Euros. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think this was money was legit."

Ember smirked proudly. "Well that's the point, isn't it?"

As soon as they finished, Merritt hopped back on his motorcycle while the other four magicians piled into the SUV and they drove off before the guards could come to and wonder what had just happened. Next stop, Las Vegas.

 _*{0}*_

 _" **C'est vrai, Mimi, mon papa va nous voler tout ça à Las Vegas pour mon anniversaire!...Viens, tu as à venir! Les cinq cavaliers vont être plus grand que l'incroyable famille Kardashian!...N'a pas entendu? Célébrités de télévision réalité sont sortis, magiciens en. Il est partout dans les médias sociaux":**_ **"That's right, Mimi, my daddy is going to fly us all to Las Vegas for my birthday!...Come on, you have to come! The Five Horsemen are going to be bigger than the Kardashians!...Didn't you hear? Reality television celebrities are out, magicians are in. It's all over social media"**

 **" _Chérie, j'ai juste pensé à l'endroit parfait pour nos vacances le mois prochain":_ "Darling, I just thought of the perfect place for our vacation next month"**

 **Alrighty so I wrote bits and pieces of this chapter while I was working on chapter 4 because, as I mentioned before, this was originally part of chapter 4. And while I obviously won't be able to finish this whole story before Now You See Me 2 comes out, I will do my best to put out at least 2 more chapters before I go back to school late August...don't you give me that look! I can see you giving me that look through the screen! Stop it! Look, it's no big secret that a great college is mega expensive, and I'm sorry if I actually have to work to help pay for it (or rather so I feel less guilty about making my parents pay almost 60 grand a year for my education).**

 **With today being Memorial Day, this chapter is dedicated to all men and women in the armed forces...along with my grandfathers, one who served in the U.S. Army in the China-Burma theatre in a signal battalion working on the Burma Road as the leader of communications and one who was a highly decorated pilot and** **flew 123 combat missions in 7 different types of aircraft in the Southwest Pacific while attaining a commission of Lt. Colonel from the Air Force during just two years of service** **. Neither of them died in battle, but both of them fought bravely in World War II and I couldn't be prouder to be their granddaughter.**

 **As usual, review s'il vous plaît, and I'll update soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay so I saw Now You See Me 2 and it officially ruled out the possibility of every Jack/OC ever written...but other than that...it was AWESOME! I mean I went in there with a fear that the plot would be mega confusing along with a slight bias against Lula (which I know is unfair, but I just knew she would get paired with Jack because obviously he's too adorable to remain alone). However, I was proven wrong on both counts...and I've never been prouder to be wrong. First of all, yes there were a billion and a half plot twists, but they kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the movie. Second of all, Lula just reminds me too much of myself to hate her (the rambling, the social awkwardness, the not-so-subtle flirting with Jack) and I saw some qualities of Ember in Lula that you may or may not have seen (I mean it's okay if you didn't because I made Ember so therefore I know her better than anybody). Nevertheless, th** **ank you to all the people who continue to read my story even though the new movie came out, and to all the people who...**

 **Followed:** _Rihimesama_ **,** _TheAmazingMaya_ **,** _cbrown0925_ **,** _Fallen Angel203_ **,** _Dovahstav_ **,** _TweetyCherry_ **,** _HuntingWisdom_ **,** _XxrudexbutxnicexX_ **,** _Moonyong98_ **,** _Luis. longo1996_ **,** _JackSparrowsWench92_ **,** _Sayer Rose_ **,** _litangel33_ **,** _daeb_ **,** _bonnielove13_ **,** _Eska. Sky30_ **,** _Heaven's Archer_ **,** _Chaos'sBride_ **,** _KirikaAndo, HologramHoney, KilljoysMakeSomeNoise, Akatsuki Cherry Angel, sm3xyluvv, ruby13265, angel2u, Twistedfangirl, Sarcasmisthyname, MadHattier, AQUAMXRINE, fairykind-fangirl, Boo Dude, Stilinski-Kat, IamTheDoctorsDaughter, Diana Huntress Pines, LilyPot16, Knotjustabook, GuardianAngel45, orcafan1, Sseumersan, WarriorPrincess19, Mrs. HappyAnarchy, twgreentea, Ronnie. H, lovelykid, kat-duchannes, Slytherin's-one-and-only, LoveBetray, DaughterOfAvalon, BurningCrashingRaining, ThisUsernameIsIndecisive, LynxOnSmoothies, Boremi18, kitty-chan-hime, av23, Tardis. 11. Blue, ItsIthuriel, 20davisa, Rika Megami, misocute, IrinaPrecieux, Triggerfinger213, NicoleP1928, Kuro Neko to Kuro Bara, XxIvyMoonxX, Peaceful Watcher Soul, QuietDragon13, Missrosedust1309, TalonNight, Mak. mor_

 **Favorited:** _cbrown0925_ **,** _a1m0stxfam0us_ **,** _TweetyCherry_ **,** _Annalise17_ **,** _XxrudexbutxnicexX_ **,** _JackSparrowsWench92_ **,** _wolfmoon10_ **,** _litangel33_ **,** _Eska. Sky30_ **,** _skittlelover20_ **,** _Chaos'sBride_ **,** _KirikaAndo, abyviajar, Akatsuki Cherry Angel, sm3xyluvv, ruby13265, Sarcasmisthyname, Sam726, Still A Lover Of Franchises, Stilinski-Kat, IamTheDoctorsDaughter, Diana Huntress Pines, BrooklynTeen, LilyPot16, orcafan1, Sseumersan, Raven Winter, IceSnowQueen, lovelykid, dani. lynn. dymond, Slytherin's-one-and-only, LoveBetray, BurningCrashingRaining, ThisUsernameIsIndecisive, XFallenSakuraX, Leela1340, awesomeness536, ItsIthuriel, 20davisa, Rika Megami, IrinaPrecieux, Triggerfinger213, RoxannaKoh, NicoleP1928, TimeLordCompanion, Peaceful Watcher Soul, Awesomechick83_

 **Reviewed:** _FieryCaptainSpiderSanta_ ** _[Merritt just wouldn't be Merritt if he didn't eavesdrop on, like, everything! And definitely enjoy your time before you go to college because so many people try to rush to adulthood and then regret not stopping to smell the roses (not me, of course, because I still embrace my inner child, but many of my classmates)],_ **_Twistedfangirl_ **_[I cannot thank you enough for your review and don't worry, I don't plan on stopping now ;)],_ **_Guest **[I know you only reviewed chapters 3 and 4, but since I published chapter 5 before I could give you proper credit for those reviews, I felt I should thank you here (PS that "Seamus Finnegan but cooler" comment totally made my day)],** Diana Huntress Pines **[not nearly as amazing as you for reviewing (btw, love the username)], the other **Guest **who left a review on chapter 1 (first, the correct grammar is "than", not "then", and second, DUH!...she worked in a strip club so she was only allowed to use some of her magic skills),** Slytherin's-one-and-only **(oh I ain't stoppin' now),**_ BurningCrashingRaining _**[thank you so much for your compliments and for the sympathy (seriously is it a Hawaiian thing or an 8 pack thing that makes guys able to manipulate girls so easily)], and** J **[when I woke up to see that you left reviews on every single chapter, I can't even begin to describe how overjoyed I was (especially the one for chapter 5 that called this "without a doubt the best story I've read in this fandom")]**_

 **Added me to a community:** _Taiyou Ryu_

 **This story has been my most successful one by far! Just this month I've had over 3400 views and over 1000 visitors to this story alone! Also, this story officially has over 100 followers (well over 100 actually, which is more than double the number of followers for my second most popular story) and has officially passed the 85 favorites mark...and do you know what that means? THROUGH THE SUN'S FLAMES IS NOW MY MOST LIKED AND MOST FOLLOWED STORY I'VE EVER WRITTEN! Knowing that this many people are reading and enjoying my story makes me wanna cry...which is why I'm gonna jump into this next chapter before the tears start falling on my keyboard.**

 **Disclaimer: Lula May is on screen as Jack Wilder's love interest instead of Ember Jinx...is that enough proof?!**

 _*Wednesday, February 26, Las Vegas, Nevada*_

Once they completed their work in Paris, the Horsemen flew straight to Las Vegas the next morning, but much to the other magicians' confusion, Ember did not seem all that pleased to be home. In fact, she did the exact same thing every day: spent the morning in their hotel suite in the Aria, went to rehearsal at the MGM Grand, snuck out for an hour in the late afternoon (always an hour, never more and never less), and then returned to the suite. Ember never told anybody where she went during those hours, not even Henley or Jack, which really stung the boy. Jack had really thought he and Ember had bonded in Paris. He had told her his deepest secret and she couldn't even bring herself to give him a tour of the city or at least explain why she was locking herself away or where she was going.

Jack was standing at the foot of the spiral staircase, gazing up at the door to Ember's room. _'What do I do?'_ he thought nervously. _'Do I go talk to her...do I just leave her alone...'_

"Wanna help Ember?" Henley spoke up, interrupting Jack's mental debate.

"Huh?" Jack muttered dazedly.

"You heard me," Henley replied with a shrug. "Do you really want to help Ember or not?"

 _*{0}*_

Jack poked his head out from behind a dumpster...shadier side of Sin City. He cringed when he saw Ember creeping down the type of alley where people got mugged, robbed, raped, and murdered on a regular basis. After sneaking out of dress rehearsal, Ember had changed out of her costume and into some more inconspicuous street clothes (ripped jeans, heeled boots, and a sweatshirt), but even with her sunglasses on and her hood pulled up over her head, anybody could still tell that Ember was an attractive young woman...which was what Jack was worried about.

Ember crouched in front of a door at the end of the alley, pulled an envelope out of her back pocket, and stuck it under the doorway. She let out a deep breath, chuckling softly to herself because she knew she wasn't alone. Ember stood up, and as she turned around to exit the alley, Jack ducked out of the way. He pulled his legs up to his chest, held his breath, and tried to make himself as invisible as possible as the sound of Ember's heels against the pavement grew louder and louder. But suddenly, the noise stopped.

"You can come out now," Ember teased in a sing-song voice.

Jack sucked in a breath. Maybe if he didn't move and stayed silent...

Ember's face suddenly appeared next to the dumpster. "This is Las Vegas, Yank, not a playground for a round of hide-and-seek...which you'd lose anyway because you're a lousy hider." The blonde extended a hand.

Jack sighed and took hold of Ember's hand, allowing her to pull him out of the filth that is Vegas garbage. The two of them shuffled out of the alley before any real criminals could show up and get any ideas. Ember jerked her head in the direction of the Aria and the two young magicians strolled down the Las Vegas streets.

"S-So that was your big secret? Y-You hang out in sketchy alleys and sell girl-scout cookies?" Jack questioned teasingly.

That managed to get a smirk out of Ember. "Cute...but that wasn't my secret. You said I could tell you when I felt ready, and I promise that I will, but for now, please just trust me."

Jack pressed his lips together in a thin line. On the inside, he was bursting with curiosity and inquiries, but on the outside, he kept his cool. "Okay."

Ember's navy blue eyes sparkled mischievously. "And as payback for letting Henley convince you to follow me," the blonde held up a black leather wallet and waved it next to her face, "you'll have to catch me." Ember winked, spun around, and sprinted toward the hotel.

Jack slapped his hands over his pockets and realized the wallet that Ember was running off with was his. That little firebug had managed to pick the pocket of a pickpocket. Jack couldn't help but grin as he took off after Ember.

 _*Thursday, February 27, Las Vegas, Nevada*_

"Is everything and everybody ready to go?" Daniel asked for the millionth time that day.

"YES!" the other four Horsemen cried out.

Daniel scowled as he noticed Ember whispering something to Jack, who chuckled in reply. "Ember!" Daniel snapped, drawing the blonde girl's attention. "You have something to say?"

"Yeah...but I doubt you'll like it."

Henley stifled her giggle as Merritt smirked in amusement.

"Spit it out," Daniel ordered.

"Well I was just telling Jack here how even though I've been in America for seven years, I never understood the expression 'full of hot air', but thanks to you, now I finally do."

"You should talk, Miss 'Pyrotechnics and Bomb-Technology Master'!"

A hesitant knock to the door put a stop to the bickering right before a petite Asian woman poked her head inside. "I'm so sorry to interrupt but, uh, Miss Jinx...you have visitors."

"Thank you, Natalie. Please escort them to my dressing room. I'll be there momentarily."

The assistant, Natalie, smiled back, clearly relieved that she wasn't in trouble for bothering the Horsemen. She ducked her head bashfully and exited the room, making sure to close the door behind her.

"Un...be...lievable," Daniel retorted as he glowered at Ember. "The biggest show of our whole career starts in less than an hour and you invite guests over for a tea party?!"

Ember's entire body tensed as her eyes blazed like blue fire. She had put up with Daniel's infuriating ego for a year, but this time he had awoken the sleeping dragon. In the blink of an eye, Ember had crossed the room, her hands gripping the armrests of Daniel's chair, her navy blue eyes just inches from his icy blue ones. "If I were you, Jarvis, I'd start being a lot nicer to me."

"And why-" Daniel cleared his throat to mask the way his voice squeaked. "And why on Earth would I do that?"

Ember chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to keep her breathing steady. She had never played this card before - and she was hoping she would never have to - but there was something about Daniel's haughtiness, the way disdain dripped from his every word and every action, that sent Ember off the edge. "Let's just say I have friends in high places...dangerous friends. One phone call to them and they can make sure that instead of joining the Eye, you'll be losing one!"

Daniel's face turned red with fury. "How dare you threaten me, you ungrateful-"

Daniel had started to stand up from his chair, but Ember had pushed him back, the heel of her stiletto digging into his chest. Jack's breath hitched at the sight. In her short tight dress and pumps, Ember already looked stunning, but the passion radiating from her eyes made her look even sexier.

"Drop the high-and-mighty attitude and we won't have a problem. Cross me again and, well, let's just say you'll be playing with something even more deadly than fire!"

Daniel held his glare for a few more seconds, but eventually he ducked his head in surrender. Ember manage to keep up her brave face, but as soon as she felt her bottom lip begin to tremble, Ember dropped her foot from Daniel's sternum and fled from the room before her companions could see her cry. The tension hung in the room like a thick fog cloud until Merritt decided to break the silence.

"Well it's about time!" the balding magician breathed out with a smirk. "To be honest, I always thought Henley would be the one who'd crack first, but I guess that famous Irish temper won out in the end."

"You're actually siding with that whiny, snot-nosed brat?!" Daniel exclaimed in disbelief.

"Um...duh! She's only saying what we've all been thinking for the past year! And did you see those long legs when she had you pinned to your chair?" Merritt wolf-whistled. "Jack, I'd call you an extremely lucky man...but first you gotta grow a pair and actually have that talk with her."

"Hey!" Jack cried out.

"Anyway!" Henley cut in before the conversation could go from bad to ugly. The redhead moved to sit on the edge of Daniel's armrest and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, Danny, ever since that first meeting in New York, Ember's been working non-stop to prove herself both to the Eye and to us, but she's never asked for anything in return. Just this once, can't you find it in your heart-"

"That shriveled-up raisin you call a heart," Merritt interjected.

"-to respect her wishes?" Henley continued with a quick glare at Merritt. "After all, a few minutes with some friends she hasn't seen in a year won't jeopardize our initiation."

 _*{0}*_

Ember hurried down the hallway, blinking as quickly as she could to stop the waterworks, but the moment she opened the door to her dressing room, a smile lit up her whole face.

"Ember!" a gray-haired woman with a pixie cut and clunky jewelry squealed as she leapt up from the couch and flung her arms open.

"Camille!" Ember breathed out as she ran into the older woman's embrace.

"Oh baby, when ya never returned to Three Rings, I was afraid..." Camille couldn't even bring herself to finish her sentence.

"I'm fine," Ember assured her.

"We can see that," a woman with caramel skin, thick dark brown hair, and a toddler on her lap spoke up. "This dressing room is nicer than my apartment."

Ember chuckled. "Nice to see you, too, Krista."

Krista smiled as she stood up, bouncing a bit so the little girl could rest comfortably on her mother's hip. Krista gave Ember a one-armed hug and a kiss on each cheek. "Baylee, say hi to your godmother Ember."

"Hi Emmer," the toddler chirped.

"Yeah normally I would let my three-year-old come to a late night magic show," Krista added, "but since it was you...I made an exception."

Ember beamed as she gazed at her goddaughter. With her dark skin, brown curls, and almond-shaped brown eyes, Baylee looked just like her mother, which was probably a good thing since that meant she wouldn't grow up as a constant reminder of her S.O.B father.

"Well I heard you found a new job," Ember replied. "How is it?"

"Well luckily there are a million strip clubs in Las Vegas. They may not have the 'charm' of Three Rings but..."

Ember laughed, but Camille and Krista could see that it didn't reach her eyes.

"What's wrong, Em?"

"Nothing," Ember brushed off with a forced grin.

"No somethin's definitely wrong," Camille argued. "I know guilt when I see it and right now I see it in those navy blue orbs."

Ember raked her hands through her hair as her eyes darted around the room anxiously and she licked her lips.

Camille sighed. "How 'bout I fix that hair o' yours? I don't know what kinda people they hire here for hair 'n makeup but by the looks of these tangled curls, they ain't doin' ya any favors."

Ember smirked weakly as she allowed the grey-haired woman to lead her to the chair in front of the vanity. "If anybody can fix this mess, it's you, Camille."

Camille picked up a brush and got to work untangling Ember's hair. Meanwhile, Krista sat Baylee down on the couch and pulled a stuffed bunny out of her purse for her daughter.

"So what happened, Em?" Camille asked again as she separated Ember's platinum blonde curls into separate strands so she could braid along the crown of Ember's head before tying the rest into a high ponytail.

Ember let out a breath. "Camille, you've known me ever since I moved from Ireland...am I as bad as my uncle?"

Camille's jaw dropped, causing her gum to actually drop out of her mouth. "Why would ya ever think that?!"

Ember sniffled. "Be-Because I just acted like him."

Camille narrowed her eyes at Ember's reflection in the mirror. "Spill!"

And so Ember proceeded to explain not just what happened in Daniel's dressing room, but what happened when she took off for New York City (obviously leaving out her real reason for leaving). By the end of her story, Ember was in tears. "I just...I just don't want to turn into a monster like him," she blubbered.

Camille immediately spun Ember's chair around so she could stare the blonde girl down. "Ember Demitria Jinx, your uncle is a-"

"Ahem!" Krista coughed as she pointed at the impressionable Baylee innocently playing with her bunny on the couch.

"...very bad man," the grey-haired-woman finished, her voice strained from the effort it took to hold back from using her more, uh, colorful language. "He's vile and despicable and you're nothin' like him!"

"But-"

"No buts! Ya think you're gonna end up like Rick for threatenin' a jerk who treated ya like crap?! That doesn't make ya corrupt!"

"It doesn't?" Ember murmured.

"Heck to the no!" Camille denied.

"It makes you strong," Krista added.

Ember broke into a smile...a real smile. She stood up from the chair and threw her arms around the two women.

"Aw great! Now I gotta fix ya makeup, too!" Camille teased.

The three former Three Rings employees started giggling, but they were interrupted.

"Knock knock," Jack greeted from outside the door before poking his head in. "Em, c-can I ask you some-" He paused when he saw that Ember wasn't alone. "Oh, um, hi. I-I didn't know you had company."

Ember grinned. "Jack, this is Camille Lansing, Krista Baez, and Krista's daughter Baylee. Ladies, this is Jack Wilder: pickpocket, sleight of hand, and my, um, friend."

Jack shook hands with the two ladies, but both he and Ember missed the way that Camille and Krista shared a knowing look.

"I-It's nice to meet you all but, uh, Ember, show starts in twenty minutes so..."

"Oh right! Thanks for the reminder, Yank," Ember caught on. "So sorry to cut this visit short, girls, but I have to get ready. I'll escort you out."

Jack backed away from the door to allow the girls out before he headed off to his own room.

"So...Jack seems pretty cute," Krista spoke up as they walked down the hallway.

"Really? Hmm, I never noticed," Ember replied casually.

"Never noticed? After a year? I mean I noticed and I only saw him for, like, thirty seconds. Did you notice Jack's cuteness, Camille?" Krista asked in an innocent tone.

"More like smokin' hotness! Man, if I was thirty years younger-"

Krista cleared her throat and jerked her head downwards toward the toddler with whom she was walking hand-in-hand. "But you said you and Jack are just friends, right?"

"Y-Yeah...completely platonic friends," Ember answered unsurely.

"Mhmm," Krista mumbled skeptically.

Ember rolled her eyes as she waved Natalie over from her spot near the door. "Just remember to, uh, have your hands free for the finale." Once the three guests - confused faces and all - had been dropped with Natalie, Ember turned on her heel and started walking back to her dressing room.

"Excuse me, Miss Jinx?" a man called out.

Ember glanced behind her and recognized the man as a hotel security guard. "Yes? What is it, Lyle?"

"You have another guest."

The Irish girl furrowed her brow in confusion. "Another guest? I didn't invite anybody else."

"This man claims to be family."

Ember's expression darkened. "What's this man's name?" she asked through gritted teeth.

The security guard, Lyle, flipped through the pages on his clipboard. "He said his name was, uh, Rick Moran. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Oh it means plenty to me," Ember muttered bitterly. "Let the b*stard in."

Lyle pursed his lips, not sure why Ember would want to see a man she spoke of in such a negative tone, but he followed her orders. Lyle picked up his walkie-talkie from his belt. "This is Officer Chambers. We have confirmation from Miss Jinx. Bring in Mr. Moran."

The door from the lobby to the backstage hallway swung open and in strode Uncle Rick, looking just as sleazy as he had a year ago in his tailored suit and magenta silk shirt. Ember nodded for the guard to give them some privacy.

"Emmie, baby! Look at ya! Ya look so grown up since the last time I saw ya!"

"You mean a year ago when you made me strip in front of you and your bouncers, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum?" Ember questioned pointedly.

"Psh that's all in the past now!" Rick dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I'm a changed man!"

"We both know that's a load of rubbish! Why are you really here?!"

"I wanted to see my favorite niece performin' in the big leagues! I always knew you was meant for somethin' great!"

"Favorite niece, huh? Even after I took your wallet, stole your car, and left you covered in red powder? By the way, how long did that take to wash off?" Ember asked in an innocent voice, but the spark in her eyes was anything but innocent.

Rick's eye twitched as his lips pressed into a thin line. "Three weeks," he mumbled begrudgingly.

"Hmm, and you still call me your favorite?"

Rick forced a smile. "Ya know how much I adored your dear mother - God bless her soul - even when she couldn't pay back her debt."

"She was your sister!" Ember hissed. "She was sick!"

"And she got better," Rick defended, "but she still never gave me my money."

Realization dawned on Ember and she began to back away. "That's why you're here. You didn't come for the show, you came for the money!"

"I came to make a business proposal," Rick corrected. "You 'n your team make me your manager and your ma's debt goes away forever."

Ember crossed her arms, grinned, leaned into one hip, and began to chuckle as she tilted her head to the side.

"What's so funny?" Rick asked with a nervous smile.

"Just that you tore me away from my home, forced me to spend six years as scantily-clad eye-candy, did unspeakable things to me...and now you actually have the balls to ask me for money! So thanks for stopping by, Uncle Dick, but you can take your business and shove it up your-"

"Alright alright I get it!" Rick brushed off as he held up his hands in surrender. "One last hug for ol' time's sake?"

Ember huffed but, feeling obligated by the shred of DNA she shared with her mother's older brother, she relented. She slowly stepped into Rick's arms, but she realized her mistake too late. Rick wrapped his hands around Ember's throat and pushed her up against the wall as he proceeded to squeeze the life out of her. Down at the other end of the hallway, the other Four Horsemen still in Daniel's dressing room and going over last minute details when Jack suddenly heard a scream...Ember's scream.

"Ember!" Jack breathed out in a panic.

The young man scrambled out of the room and tore down the hallway, followed by Merritt and Daniel. Henley, the only one of the four wearing heels, used the dressing room phone to call hotel security.

"Em!" Jack called out.

He heard a strangled cry, and when he turned the corner, he saw the Irish girl being held up to the wall by a stocky man with a toupee who was choking her. Ember turned her head just slightly, but just enough for Jack to see her navy blue eyes wide with fear.

"EMBER!" Jack screamed.

Rick glanced toward the source of the noise, but it was just enough of a distraction for Ember to swing back her leg and knee her uncle between the legs...hard. Rick crumpled to the floor and Jack ran up to catch Ember before she fell to the ground, too.

"Emmie! Emmie it's okay! I'm here!" Jack whispered as he cradled her head in his hands and softly kissed her forehead. "I'm here..."

At that moment, Henley had made it to the scene of the incident while Lyle and a bunch of other security guards showed up, grabbed Rick by his arms, and yanked him to his feet. Ember trembled in Jack's hands, still gasping for breath.

"Ya stupid whore! You're just as worthless as your parents! I should've just left ya to rot in Ireland! I hope ya burn in your own flames, ya little slu..." The rest of Rick's rant was muffled as hotel security dragged him away.

"What the heck, Lyle?!" Henley exclaimed as she knelt in front of Ember, touched the girl's cheek with her hand, and whipped her head around to glare at the guard. "How did this psycho get past you?!"

"I confirmed his identity with Miss Jinx first and she told me to let him in," Lyle insisted.

"And you left her alone with him?!"

"She ordered us to!"

Henley grunted angrily before she turned her attention to helping Jack pull Ember off the floor. Ember's skin was pale and the bruises from Rick's fingers were already starting to show underneath her high collar, but at least she was conscious. With Jack acting as her crutch, the Horsemen walked Ember back to her dressing room.

Despite everything that just occurred, Daniel couldn't resist throwing in a jab. "You see, this is what happens when you invite outsiders backstage!"

"Not the time, Danny!" Henley scolded as she helped set Ember down on the couch.

"Oh no, it's fine!" Ember dismissed, her sarcasm still evident despite her raspy voice. "Why should we let the fact that my u- I mean a man just tried to murder me with his bare hands get in the way of Danny boy here acting like a complete and utter arse?"

Daniel's nostrils flared as he opened his mouth to undoubtedly prove Ember's point, but once again, Henley stepped in to tame her ex. "Danny, remember that talk we just had?" the redhead asked calmly but pointedly.

"Yeah, but-"

Henley's eyes narrowed warningly. "Ember was a few seconds away from dying. Getting off her case for one night is not going to kill you...or ruin the show."

Daniel clenched his jaw stubbornly, but anyone could see the concern buried in his eyes. "Fine. Just be more careful, Ember. We can't afford to lose you." Daniel turned to exit the room, leaving Ember completely shocked from what she just heard, but he froze mid-step and spun back around to face the blonde. "I meant for the sake of the show. I'm not losing my shot at the Eye just because you ended up on the wrong side of a chokehold."

Rather than feel disappointed, Ember just smirked. "Apology accepted, mate."

The corner of Daniel's mouth quirked up in a half-grin, but the expression lasted for only a fleeting moment. Daniel cleared his throat and straightened his posture to regain his image of authority. "Well come on, then. Show starts in ten minutes and at least some of us need to be onstage. Henley, Merritt, let's go check in with the stage manager. Jack, you stay with Ember for a few more minutes. Try to calm her down."

As the three older magicians walked out of the dressing room, Daniel glanced back toward Ember and gave her a subtle wink. Ember smiled weakly, but even that took effort. Meanwhile, Jack sat down on the couch beside Ember.

"Em, w-why did you let that...that man in?" Jack murmured, his eyes laced with worry. "Who was he? H-How did he know your family? Wa-Was he from your old life in Vegas?"

"He's nobody," Ember dismissed, but she refused to look Jack in the eyes.

Jack moved down from the couch, crouched at Ember's feet, and reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her face. "Ember, I promise that no matter what you say to me, I won't think any less of you."

Ember sniffled. "You promise?"

Jack took Ember's hands in his own, kissed her knuckles, and lowered them to her knees. "With all my heart."

Ember nibbled her bottom lip. Maybe it was time to lighten the burden she had been carrying on her shoulders for all these years. "Well...it all started about eight years ago when-"

"Places everyone! Curtain goes up in five!" a stagehand hollered from outside.

Ember snapped out of her emotional state and instinctively went into performance mode. She pulled her hands out of Jack's, shuffled over to the vanity, painted some concealer over the visible bruises on her neck, wiped away the smeared makeup around her eyes, straightened her dress, and let out a deep breath. "I'll be fine," Ember promised before she turned back to Jack. "Right now, we've got a show to put on."

 _*{0}*_

 **I swear I wanted to take this all the way through the show but I was determined to put this chapter out before July 1st (since it's only 11:53 pm on June 30th, I fulfilled my goal) and my boss upped my schedule to six days a week and my writing time in the gift shop was otherwise occupied (writing and rewriting my essays for a scholarship application). Once again, I can't thank you all enough for the indescribable joy I feel from knowing how many people are reading my story. Please leave reviews and I'll see y'all again in July!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Yo wassup party people! Why is this a party?! Cuz this story is my most successful one EVER! By 4th of July, I already had over a thousand views for the month! And none of this would've been possible without all you wonderful people who...**

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 **Reviewed:** _FieryCaptainSpiderSanta **[you're absolutely right on both counts (your opinion on Rick and your philosophy to enjoy being a kid)],** Slytherin's-one-and-only **(hmm...that would be an interesting plot twist...I'll think about it),** Slyork1991 **(well wish granted cuz here's what happens next),** J **[I admit I had to look up OTP after you said "Emmie and Yank are my OTP", but once I realized it meant "Ember and Jack are my NYSM version of Hermione and Ron", I started squealing in excitement cuz (my brother will corroborate that cuz he was sitting like 2 feet away when it happened)],** Forever Courage **(and I love you for your review),** gotmoreissuesthanvogue **(you're sooo great too),** Guest **(I hope this update came soon enough for someone who loves it as much as you),** oOAngelwithaBrokenHaloOo **(Doll, I love you for your support),** livlifembleming **[two things: one, not as wonderful as you are for your kind review, and two, yes I probably should be studying or doing something more productive, but this is way too much fun (plus, being productive doesn't get me awesome feedback like**_ _ **"I love the change up from the usual Jack/OC stories")],** Diana Huntress Pines **[I don't hate Danny...I may not like him but my overall goal is to show how despite his chauvinistic attitude, deep down he does care for the girls in the group...he just needs Henley to remind him of that (but still bonus points for actually being surprised by the heart-to-heart getting cut short)],** policerip **(good job remaining unbiased and objective, sweetheart),** Sailorcess **[well getting emails with super sweet reviews like yours are the highlights of MY day (btw, Jember most definitely works)],** Ahsilaa **[well I'm most definitely gonna continue (as for having a lot of this figured out, while I'm flattered I come off that way, let's just say I've got enough figured out to write a believable story)],** Guest_ _**(aww thanks, you're so sweet),** pinnymph **(and I would just like you to know how much I enjoy this review)**_

 **Disclaimer: I may be killin' it with my reviews and followers, but that changes nothing with regards to ownership**

 **P.S. I am not a magician nor do I know enough about the craft to fill a Las Vegas magic show, so I think I'll start right about here...**

 _*Thursday, February 27, Las Vegas, Nevada*_

 _"MERRITT MCKINNEY..."_

 _Merritt walked up to the camera and stared it down like he could read the thoughts of whoever was on the other side._

 _"HENLEY REEVES..."_

 _Henley strutted forward, her straightened red locks blowing in the "wind"; stopped; put her hand on her hip; and tilted her chin up with her mouth slightly open in a sultry fashion._

 _"DANIEL ATLAS..."_

 _Daniel strolled toward the camera before turning to the side and giving it that bad boy look as the wind teased the hair around his face and the nape of his neck._

 _"EMBER JINX..."_

 _Ember - her platinum blonde hair flowing down her back in loose curls - sashayed forward and winked with a seductive smile before breaking into a playful yet mischievous giggle._

 _"JACK WILDER..."_

 _Jack stepped up to the camera and nodded slightly while the corners of his mouth curved up in a mysterious grin._

 _"ARTHUR TRESSLER AND THE MGM GRAND PROUDLY PRESENTS..."_

 _The five magicians walked shoulder-to-shoulder until they suddenly stopped and stared ahead at something as Jack flung a playing card in that direction._

Jack and Ember dodged and weaved through the stagehands and security officers as they raced toward their designated entrances. The two young magicians managed to hook on their microphones and hop on to the raising center platform. Henley sighed in relief and Merritt visibly relaxed, but Daniel still looked peeved.

"What took so long?!" Daniel hissed as he covered his mic with his hand.

"It's called a running in a tight dress and heels, Jarvis," Ember teased as she, too, cupped her hand over her mic. "You should try it sometime...but first make sure I'm there with a camera to film the whole thing."

"You mean like Thaddeus Bradley?" Henley joked. "He and his assistant, along with their 'secret' cameras, are already in their seats."

"Well then," Ember replied with a smirk, "I guess I'd better give our entrance a little extra...bang!"

 _The card Jack threw turned into a deck of cards, shuffled, and turned into a 5H symbol._

 _"THE FIVE HORSEMEN!"_

Ember grinned and flung her special smoke bomb to the ground just as the platform surfaced. The five magicians rose into the blinding spotlights engulfed in a cloud of glittery fog. They were barely able to contain their excitement...especially Ember. She was finally making her debut on a real Las Vegas stage. Nevertheless, Ember sent up a silent prayer that nobody in the audience (except for Camille, Krista, and Baylee obviously) would recognize her as the magic performer from Three Rings.

The audience roared in appreciation at the sight of the good-looking entertainers. The costume designers had truly gone above and beyond in their goal to make the Horsemen look like a unified group of Vegas magicians while still giving each one a personal touch. Merritt, Daniel, and Jack were all wearing identical black button-down shirts and suit pants. However, Merritt tucked a black silk pocket hankie into his jacket to match the band on his black fedora; Daniel had a leather collar on his more fitted jacket; and Jack rolled his shirt sleeves up to his elbows and wore black suspenders, both visible because Jack wore no jacket whatsoever. Henley, like Merritt and Daniel, was also wearing a black blazer, but hers was buttoned up had sequins strategically sewn at the shoulder seams to cover but match her short black sequined halter dress with a deep V-neck. Her beautiful red hair was curled and pinned into a low side ponytail and, as always, Henley had on her black leather gloves along with thick black strappy pumps. Ember was supposed to match Henley, but the Irish girl realized early on that the sleeves of the blazer could restrict her pyrotechnics too much. Instead, Ember wore a high-collar sleeveless dress with a V-neck cutout to match that of a jacket. Most of the mid-thigh-length dress was plain black fabric, but the collar was lace to match her elbow-length black lace fingerless gloves and lace-patterned peep-toe pumps with black ankle straps. **(AN the link for Ember's dress is on my profile, just remove the spaces between the symbols and when you see the picture, pretend the dress is sleeveless instead of long-sleeved)**

"Hello Las Vegas!" Daniel echoed. "You ready to see some magic tonight?"

The crowd whooped and hollered.

"I can't hear you!" Daniel replied as he and the other Horsemen cupped their ears to pretend they were listening for the audience's reaction. "I said: you ready to see some magic tonight?!"

The spectators cheered even louder.

"Well that answers that!" the illusionist surrendered with a grin. "Let's get started!"

 _*{0}*_

"Okay, you guys can sit down now!" Merritt said to the half of the audience that was standing up for his mass hypnosis. "Everyone else, let's have a big round of applause for what could be the next Philharmonic!"

The remaining members of the crowd clapped enthusiastically for the man who just hypnotized hundreds of people.

"Thank you!" Merritt responded proudly before he strolled around the circular stage. "Tonight, we would like to try something that will, well, set us a bit apart."

"Anybody can pull a rabbit out of a hat," Ember spoke up from where she was casually sitting on the edge of the platform the Horsemen had entered on, her feet dangling just above the floor. She hopped off the platform and sashayed toward the audience. "But we're not just anybody."

"For our final trick," Henley joined in as she walked down the steps of the same raised platform, "we're gonna do something never before seen on a Las Vegas stage!"

"Or any stage for that matter!" Jack added, strutting up from a side branch of the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Daniel continued as he hopped up the steps to the raised platform, "tonight...we are going to rob a bank!"

The audience roared.

"That's a lot of excitement for a crime," Daniel teased.

"I'm getting excited!" Henley replied. "What about you, people?!"

If possible, the crowd amped up its volume even higher.

Merritt and Jack locked eyes and the mentalist smirked playfully. Merritt counted to three before he and Jack leapt up and high-fived each other. However, Merritt accidentally-on-purpose slapped Jack a little too hard, causing the pickpocket to stumble off-balance and bump into Ember. Fortunately, Jack caught Ember's arm and pulled her into his chest before she fell off the stage. The nearby audience members cooed at the adorable shipability of the youngest Horsemen. Ember let out a girly giggle, but she swallowed it as soon as she noticed Merritt winking mischievously over Jack's shoulder.

"Okay, okay. Now, please, please, settle down," Daniel called out as he tried to draw the crowd's attention back to himself at the center of the stage. "Now, who here has a bank they would like us to rob?"

Every hand in the MGM Grand shot up in the air.

"That's a lot of people with a vendetta," Daniel mused out loud. "So, we'll choose one at random then. My associates will make sure it's random, right?"

Ember took that as her cue to slip into the shadows of the auditorium while the remaining three Horsemen picked up their oversized hamster balls filled with numbered/lettered ping pong balls.

"Elvis! Help me out, bud!" Jack drawled as he lowered the container down to the fat Elvis impersonator in the front row.

"Thank you very much!" the impersonator thanked in his best Elvis voice before handing a ball up to Jack, who stealthily replaced it with the B ball he had palmed.

"In Jack's bowl are ping pong balls with section numbers," Daniel explained. "Jack, could you hand me a section number?"

Jack obediently threw the ping pong ball toward the center of the stage, where it bounced once and then landed in Daniel's hand.

"Thank you. We are looking at Section B. Where is Section B?"

The people in the corresponding chunk of the auditorium raised their hands in the air and cheered excitedly...except for Thaddeus Bradley and his assistant Hermia, of course. However, none of them noticed Ember creeping around the balcony above them. She gazed down and immediately recognized the fluffy gray hair of the Frenchman.

"Okay, there! It's gonna be one of you guys. Get ready."

The whoops and hollers continued to echo throughout the room.

"I don't know why everybody's happy. It's only them," Daniel commented.

Meanwhile, Merritt was waving around his hamster ball in front of the pretty girls on his side of the stage and eventually lowered it to an exotic beauty, who pulled out a ball that the hidden device in Merritt's sleeve immediately swapped with the 5 ball.

"Merritt, can I get a row, please?"

Merritt tossed the ping pong ball, which bounced twice before dropping upside down into Daniel's hand.

"We are looking at row number 5," Daniel stated as he twisted his hand to read the ball. "Where is that?"

The fifth row of the B section cried out. At the same time, Ember crouched below the balcony ledge, checked her invisible wires, and pulled a bunch of flashpaper out of a secret panel.

"And, uh, Henley, could I please have a random seat number?" Daniel requested, doing his best to hide the jealousy in his voice from seeing all the men fighting over being Henley's ping pong volunteer...and fighting over a better view of her cleavage from that downward angle.

Henley switched out the ball she was given with the 13 ball she had kept hidden with her glove. She pursed her lips in amusement at Daniel's envy and flung the ball at her ex, who caught it before it even hit the ground.

"Oh, lucky number 13," Daniel joked. "B-5-13, where are you?"

Etienne Forcier stood up from his seat and was immediately targeted by the spotlight. Up above, Ember put one foot up on the railing and gave her wires a quick signal tug.

"Sir, please stand up. Ah there you are. Hi."

The audience applauded and Ember took that as her cue. She leapt off the railing and tossed her flashpaper toward the ground, allowing some to ignite around her so she looked like she was descending in a ball of fire. The Irish girl flipped a few times before landing flawlessly on the floor in a "burst of flames" beside Etienne's row. Ember took advantage of the nearby spectators' looking away from the "flames" to quickly unhook her invisible wires and turn her wireless mic back on.

"Ah, yes. Always one for flashy entrances, that girl," Daniel mused as Ember waved gracefully and blew kisses at the audience. "Now, Ember, could you just confirm for me that this is, in fact, his seat? B-5-13?"

Ember glanced behind Etienne to check the number on his chair as if she didn't already know...or rather as if Henley hadn't assigned him that seat from the beginning. "He's telling the truth, mate."

"Okay, wonderful," Daniel dismissed as he casually flung the three ping pong balls off to the side. "Now, sir, could you please tell us your name and the name of your bank?"

Ember took the handheld microphone from the nearby usher and passed it to Etienne.

"Well, my name is Etienne Forcier and my bank is Credit Republicain de Paris."

"French. Okay, uh, we were hoping for something a little more local, a kind of mom-and-pop credit union with no security, but that's fine. A promise is a promise," Daniel pretended to ramble nervously. "Ember, please escort Etienne up to the stage so we can rob his bank."

Etienne passed the mic back to Ember, who passed it back to the usher, and then gave his wife a quick kiss before sliding out of the row to follow the Irish magician.

"And while they come down," Daniel continued as the other three Horsemen slowly approached the center of the stage, "there is someone here tonight, without whom we would just be five magicians working the circuit, trying to get...well, actually, trying to get here. You probably know this man, if not from one of the many many companies he puts his name on. He is our friend. He is our benefactor. Mr. Arthur Tressler. Please stand up, Art. Please stand up."

Daniel extended his hand toward the VIP section and the spotlight followed until it fell straight on the white-haired British tycoon, who stood up to bask in the glory. Meanwhile, Jack met Ember at the edge of the stage and the two of them guided Etienne to the trapdoor where the "teleporting machine" would appear.

"The only man here with the Queen's cell phone number," Merritt interjected, earning a round of laughs as Art continued to wave at the audience.

"Actually, please stay standing, Art," Daniel requested. "Um, I want to say that when we came to Mr. Tressler, we promised that, as a unit, we could become the biggest name in magic."

Merritt blew Art a kiss before he slipped away to help Ember and Jack.

"So we wanted to say 'thank you' and, by the way, Art, you notice on the sign out front, we made sure we put your name on top," Henley added.

Another usher appeared to hand a handheld mic to Art. "If you turn out to be as good as you think you are, dear girl, that won't be necessary much longer."

"We haven't done our closer yet. Why don't you watch it and then you can decide for yourself," Henley responded.

Meanwhile, Ember and Jack brought Etienne up to the raised platform, where Merritt was waiting. Jack went off to get the "teleportation helmet" while Ember checked the miniature sparkers disguised in her gloves. The Frenchman extended his hand to Merritt in greeting, but the mentalist grabbed Etienne's hand, clapped him in the chest, grabbed the back of his neck, and pulled him in close to hypnotize him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Arthur Tressler!" Henley repeated with one final swooping arm gesture.

"Thank you. And, of course, once again, the Cardinal of Clairvoyance, Merritt McKinney!" Daniel transitioned with a sweep of his arm.

Merritt snapped his fingers to complete the hypnotism and then proceeded to address the Frenchman in his regular show voice. "Etienne, what Jack is bringing to the stage now is what we in the magic world call a teleportation helmet," Merritt explained as Jack held the helmet up over his head and circled around the Frenchman. "You will need to wear this, as it will allow you to literally fold through space and time to your bank in the...8th?"

Etienne grimaced slightly.

"9th arrondissement," Merritt corrected.

"Yeah," Etienne agreed.

"Now, once you are there, we will be able to speak with you through this helmet. Now if..."

Jack cut in to place the helmet on Etienne's head, which was obviously a perfect fit since they made it specifically from Henley's measurements during her "accidental" run with Etienne back in Paris a couple weeks ago.

"Ah! Oh, my God, that's beautiful!" Merritt admired.

The audience chuckled.

"It has the added attraction of being very stylish. It's about time the Europeans learned from America on that subject," the mentalist commented with an obvious teasing wink at Ember.

"And who exactly designed the helmet?" Ember questioned pointedly with her hands on her hips.

Merritt's face blanched as he glanced off to the side and scratched the back of his neck. "Regardless, is that a beautiful piece of headgear?"

Jack hit the button on the back to turn on the blue lights on the helmet, which delighted the already-applauding audience.

"Thank you. Thank you..." Etienne spoke up.

"It is," Jack agreed.

"Thank you. Thank you very much."

"Mais oui. Mais oui," Merritt added in a flowery French accent.

"But before you go anywhere," Daniel jumped in as he, Henley ascended the steps to the raised platform. "Could you please, pick a card, any card. Not that card."

"Oh," Etienne murmured, confused why Daniel pulled the deck of cards away.

"No, that's an old American joke. You can take that one," Daniel insisted. Considering the entire deck consisted of the two of hearts, it didn't really matter which one Etienne chose.

"Okay. This one?" Etienne confirmed as he pulled a card from the deck

"Now, show it to your friends in Section B, but not to us," Daniel instructed, looking away from Etienne while the other Horsemen strolled around the platform, each covering their eyes and/or averting their gazes away from the Frenchman and the giant screen showing the audience the card Etienne had picked. "Okay, great. Now if you could just sign your name there," Daniel continued as he passed a sharpie off to Etienne. "In English, if possible."

Etienne wrote his signature on the card, just like the one on his credit card.

"That's good," Merritt commented.

"Thanks. Now, put it in your pocket."

Etienne tucked the signed playing card into his breast pocket.

"And now for one tiny detail," Henley cut in.

The redhead flung a long, dark fabric from the pocket of her blazer and released it onto the stage. The cloth circled the center of the platform before Ember took hold of it, kept it looping by dancing around the trapdoor where the machine would rise up, and lit the fabric on fire. The flaming fabric swirled over the trapdoor, hiding both the sight and the sound of the teleportation machine being lifted up onto the platform. The audience, Etienne, and even the three male Horsemen applauded at the girls' prowess.

"Now, Etienne, let's step into this cockamamie contraption," Merritt spoke up as he guided the Frenchman onto the machine. "And I'll step off of it. Bonne chance."

"So, it's 11:50 p.m. here in Vegas," Ember explained while Jack and Daniel lowered the sheath around Etienne. "That's 8:50 a.m. in Paris.  
Your bank opens in less than 10 minutes."

"One..." Merritt counted down "Two..."

"Three," Henley finished with a grin before hitting the big red button on the machine's remote.

The sheath around Etienne shone almost blindingly before the top and bottom of the machine slammed together.

The audience members all gasped, as did the Horsemen (they had actually spent rehearsal time working on their "surprised" reactions).

"What the f*ck?!" Merritt exclaimed.

"Wow! E-Etienne?" Jack stammered.

"Bloody hell!" Ember breathed out in awe and terror.

"Whoa. Etienne?" Daniel called.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like that, was it?" Merritt questioned.

"Etienne?" Henley repeated as all the Horsemen wandered around the stage, pretending to look for their unlucky victim.

"I liked that little French guy," Merritt muttered. "Where did he go? Ember, what'd you do to him?!"

"Me?!" Ember cried out, her face the epitome of offense. "Who designed the teleportation machine?!"

Meanwhile, Etienne came to his senses and stood up in the vault underneath the stage that the Horsemen had built based on Ember's recon pictures. Essentially, the Frenchman was standing in an exact replica of the vault of Credit Republicain de Paris in the 9th arrondissement.

"Hey guys, hold up!" Daniel interrupted, causing Merritt and Ember to stop their faux fight just as the live footage from the camera on Etienne's helmet flickered onto the screens encircling the auditorium. "There he is."

The audience clapped as they all sighed in relief.

"No, no, no, no, please, please, please," Daniel interjected as he gestured for the crowd to quiet down. "This is Daniel Atlas. Can you hear me? Etienne? Are you okay?"

"Yes," the Frenchman's voice echoed over the theater speakers.

"Perfect. What do you see in there?" Daniel inquired.

"Money," Etienne stated before picking up a few bills from the top of the gigantic pile that the Horsemen had stolen from the armored truck in Paris. "Is this real?"

"Oh definitely," Ember answered perkily. "I'd recognize that pattern anywhere, mate. Looks like three million or so Euros' worth."

Etienne beamed in disbelief as he murmured a French phrase under his breath.

"Okay, now, here's what we're gonna need you to do," Daniel outlined. "I want you to take the card that you signed out of your pocket. And I want you to take the ticket stub from tonight's show and I want you to put it right there in the middle of the money. Now drop it."

The Frenchman followed Daniel's instructions to the letter, letting his autographed two of hearts and his ticket stub fall right in between the stacks of Euros. It slipped right into the same spot where the Horsemen had left the signed two of hearts with Etienne's forged signature and the preassigned ticket in the pile of flashpaper Euros that was currently sitting in the real vault in Paris...or at least where it had been sitting until a few hours ago when Ember's device heated up the vault and burned up the flashpaper money. By now, the vault would be back at its normal temperature and when the bank employees walked in in a couple minutes, all they would find was the card and the ticket.

"Now, on the side of your helmet you should feel a button. Don't press it just yet," Daniel insisted. "That button activates an air duct that connects Paris to Las Vegas."

Etienne gave a thumbs up to show he understood.

"Okay, good. Now you can press it."

The Frenchman did as the illusionist asked and pushed the button on the side of his helmet.

"All right, now, Etienne, hold on tight," Jack warned with a mischievous grin. "You might feel a bit of a vacuum."

Ember laughed as she playfully punched Jack in the shoulder, which caused Merritt to chuckle even louder.

Meanwhile, down below the stage, the air duct above the money turned on and sucked all the money up into the vent. Etienne laughed and whooped excitedly at all the money swirling around in front of him.

"Oh wait a second," Daniel piped up.

Ember gazed over at where she knew Camille, Krista, and Baylee were all sitting; smiled conspiratorially; and winked. The three guests weren't sure why Ember was winking, but the second they heard the rumbling from the ceiling, they pulled out their purses. All of a sudden, it started raining money. The Horsemen grinned, gasped, and laughed as the Euros poured down on them and the audience, who scrambled to catch as many bills as they could.

"Thank you, Etienne. Thank you, everyone!" Daniel hollered over the deafening cheers of the crowd.

"We are the Five Horsemen!" the five magicians announced simultaneously.

"And good night!" Henley whooped as she pumped her fist in the air.

"Good night!" Merritt echoed, leaving his arm stretched over his head (like one of those "Boom! Drop the mic" moments).

"Good night!" Jack and Ember yelled together, causing them to glance at each other and blush before joining hands for the final bow.

The audience leapt to their feet, their clapping muffled by all the money in their hands. Ember squeezed Jack's hand excitedly as she let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She had dreamed of performing on a real Las Vegas stage ever since she was a little girl in Ireland...and thanks to the Eye, that dream had finally come true. But the Horsemen weren't through yet...not even close.

 _*{0}*_

 **Okay so I know y'all are probably a little bummed that I didn't go into more details about the inner-workings of the show, but I've only ever been to one Vegas magic show and that was David Copperfield almost three years ago...and yet I still can't figure out how he pulled off those tricks :(. Anyway, don't let that dissuade you cuz I've got BIG plans for the next chapter. In fact, they're so BIG (and because school starts in a week and I already feel guilty for how long I know it's gonna take me to update the chapter) that they deserve a preview...**

 _*in dramatic TV announcer voice*_ **Coming up next, our favorite magicians will end up in the hot seat with the Feds. Can the Five Horsemen outsmart a stubborn and surly FBI agent along with his pretty-faced, sharp-tongued Interpol partner?! And what do these government agents know about Ember's past that she has yet to reveal?! But most importantly, will Merritt's mischief-making ever succeed in helping Jack and Ember hook up?! All these questions answered in the next installation of Through the Sun's Flames!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay so I meant to update before I went back to school...and then I meant to update over Labor Day weekend (which only consists of Saturday and Sunday at my college)...anyway long story short, organic chemistry has become the bane of my existence and because my teacher has unreasonably high expectations for how quickly she expects us to draw like a million resonance structures, I didn't have enough time on my first exam to prove how effing hard I studied and now I have a big fat D- staring me in the face! However...*** _takes deep calming breath_ ***...now is not the time to wallow in self-pity. Now is the time to get to this new chapter before I get sucked even deeper into the abysmal void I call pre-med life! But first I do need to thank some people who, despite my unexpected absence,...**

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 **Reviewed:** _Blindluck92 **(hey just cuz I'm two hours and a whole time zone away from home doesn't mean you can take over my role as the family sass-master!),** Diana Huntress Pines **[your awesome review brings a grin to my face every time I read it :)...see there it is again],** gotmoreissuesthanvogue **(and I'm so excited for your next review on what I hope will be an equally great chapter),** Slyork1991 **(hearing the announcer voice doesn't make you a geek! I heard it too...which I guess would make me a geek...well at least we're geeks together!)** , Slytherin's-one-and-only **[well I hope to read your next review soon too :)],** binawitch01 **(since Dave Franco is so cute, I figured his fictional costar needed to be just as cute)** , Storythriver123 **(Ember's accent is still a pretty strong Irish brogue, but her years in America have definitely weakened it a little, so I guess the answer would be "Irish mixed with a tiny bit of American"),** S-C-P411 **[yo, I think your review is amazing(and don't worry, a little bit of pressure is a good motivator)],** booklover1798_ _**(and I can't wait to give you more),** Daisy54154 **(and I absolutely love seeing your review)**_

 **Disclaimer: well I have OVER 200 FOLLOWERS; OVER 13,000 VIEWS; and about $4200 dollars that I made this summer in the restaurant...do you think that's enough to buy the rights to this story?**

 _*Friday, February 28, Las Vegas, Nevada*_

"I don't mean to brag," Ember spoke up as she practically danced down the stairs of the Horsemen's two floor suite, "but I was on fire last night!"

"Okay, okay, you're the Amazing Human Tiki Torch! We get it!" Daniel whined from his spot leaning against the window.

"Jealous?" Ember asked with a teasing smirk.

"Oh please!" Daniel scoffed. "Let's not forget who was standing center stage last night."

Ember opened her mouth to let loose another witty comeback, but she was cut off by her phone buzzing in her back pocket. "Hold on," Ember chirped as she held up one hand like a stop sign and used the other to pull out her phone. "Allow me to interrupt your self-aggrandizing fantasies for one moment."

Merritt chuckled from behind his book while Jack grinned in amusement. Daniel, on the other had, just scowled as Ember scrolled through her phone.

"Well it's official! The Five Horsemen are a media sensation!" Ember squealed excitedly.

"It sounds like someone's throat is better today," Merritt commented without looking up from his paperback.

"Much better, thanks for asking," Ember replied as she sat on the edge of the table where Jack was resting his feet.

"Back up to the 'media sensation' part," Daniel interjected. "What are you talking about? I thought we all agreed to delete our social media accounts months ago so we wouldn't reveal anything the Feds could use against us!"

"You agreed, we didn't," Ember clarified. "Henley created an online profile for the Horsemen forever ago so it wouldn't seem like we were just a random group of upstart magicians."

"How long ago is 'forever'?" Daniel questioned through clenched teeth.

"Long enough ago that we would have just the right online presence to distract Art from going too deep in his pre-sponsorship background checks."

"And how long is that?"

"Six months, give or take," Ember answered with a nonchalant shrug.

Daniel made a muffled groaning sound before pivoting back toward the window, closing his eyes, and repeatedly bopping his forehead against the glass (but not hard enough to bruise or dent that pretty little head of his).

"Anyway, Henley set up our phones so we get notifications every time someone blogs, tweets, or posts anything that includes the word 'Horsemen'. My phone's been buzzing like mad ever since we got off stage last night!" Ember continued, completely ignoring Daniel's little tantrum.

"Oh so that's what was going on!" Merritt breathed out in realization. "I got so sick of all the ringing that I just threw my phone out the window of the stretch."

Daniel's eyes snapped open before he spun around, practically glaring a hole in the back of Merritt's head. "You threw away a cell phone that contained records of all of our conversations?! Are you insane?! You're basically giving whoever finds it an electronic key to lock us up in the blink of an eye!"

Merritt rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Would you relax? I know for a fact that that phone won't serve much purpose to anyone who picks it up."

"A fact, huh?! Since when do your 'telepathic' powers extend to telephones?!" Daniel sniped.

"Since I aimed the phone right in the path of a big ol' SUV and listened to it get smashed," Merritt responded plainly.

Everyone stared at Merritt, their jaws practically on the floor from the shock that Merritt McKinney, the second most self-absorbed of the Horsemen, actually thought before he carried out his actions.

Merritt finally glanced up from his book and saw the comedic-level looks he was getting from his fellow magicians. "What? I use this brain for more than just invading people's privacy! Why doesn't anyone appreciate that?!" And with a pouty huff, Merritt returned to his reading.

"Yeah well I know one person who didn't appreciate our show," Daniel spoke up, eager to switch to a topic that was less likely to give him a migraine. "Thaddeus Bradley. Have you ever seen someone look so bored and unimpressed with something so sensational?"

Ember's eyebrow arched skeptically. "You're kidding, right? It's the same look you give us every day!"

Daniel scowled.

"That's it! That's the look!" Ember exclaimed as she pointed at Daniel's face.

Daniel rolled his eyes and returned to his original job - keeping an eye out for the Feds while maintaining the appearance of casually gazing out the window at the Vegas scenery - as he muttered something under his breath about missing the days when he worked alone. Ember smirked as she and Jack fist-bumped victoriously.

"B-By the way, awesome job on that ball of fire entrance last night!" Jack complimented in hushed tones, not wanting the others to overhear and/or interrupt. "That was so much cooler tha-than rehearsal!"

"Aww! Thank you, Yank!" Ember cooed as she laid her hand on Jack's crossed shins. "Still...don't you mean so much hotter?"

"That too," Jack agreed with a chuckle.

His brown eyes locked on her dark blue ones. Even though Ember wasn't all glammed up like she had been for the show (her tight pink tie-dye t-shirt, dark ripped jeans, and silver sneaker wedges were a far cry from her costume last night), suddenly all Jack wanted to do was grab Ember's hands, pull her in close, and show her something just as hot as her pyrotechnics.

"I do have one question, though," the pickpocket whispered as he leaned in toward the fire dancer.

"Yeah?"

Jack smirked mischievously. "Where were you able to hide the harness in that dress?"

Ember covered her surprise at Jack's sudden flirtatiousness with a giggle and a foxlike glint in her eyes. If the boy wanted to play games, well so could she. After all, Ember spent six years working in a strip club and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't learned a thing or two. The Irish girl plucked a strawberry from the nearby bowl of fruit, stood up from the edge of the table, and moved in close enough to Jack that he caught a whiff of her perfume. The spices - along with the morning sunlight glinting off the silver glitter that made up the cursive E on Ember's tilted white newsboy cap - caused Jack's head to spin. By the time Jack was able to process what was happening, Ember was perched on his lap with a coy expression on her face, which was framed by several curls that weren't long enough to stay in Ember's low ponytail and therefore caressed her cheeks toyingly.

"A magician never reveals her secrets," Ember teased before she bit into her strawberry in an effortlessly seductive manner.

Jack's breath hitched.

"Oh, looks like we've got company," Daniel announced, his attention solely focused on the standard issue black SUV's that pulled up outside the Aria with no idea whatsoever as to what was going on behind him.

Ember winked playfully at Jack and quickly - but not embarrassedly - returned to her original seat beside Jack's feet on the table.

"Perfect timing," Jack grumbled bitterly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Ember gave Jack an apologetic half-grin and before pulling out her Blackberry and proceeding to wipe its memory and add the cloner bug. She tossed the phone to Daniel, who then pocketed it for later.

"Henley, our guests are here!" Ember hollered so the redhead could hear her from upstairs.

"Those feds, no manners!" Henley loudly grumbled back. "Haven't they ever heard of punctuality?!"

Within five minutes, there was an aggressive knock on the door, which was quickly followed by the unmistakable sound of a keycard swipe and the uninvited entrance of at least a dozen suits.

"FBI! Hands where I can see 'em!" the front agent ordered as he charged into the room with his gun drawn. "Let's go! Get 'em up! Come on!"

"Uno minuto!" Merritt requested, not even taking his eyes off his page as he nonchalantly held a finger in the air.

"Let's go! Get 'em up!" the lead agent continued to badger.

Ember rolled her eyes and flicked her hands up by her shoulders with a one-hundred-percent insincere grin. Jack, still bummed that the feds had robbed him of a perfect chance to have that talk with Ember, uncrossed his arms and held them up with a peeved expression. Daniel glanced backward and - pretending he didn't know the feds would be here - unsurely raised his hands, one of which was still holding his deck of cards.

"Put the book down!" the main agent warned.

"Okay!" Merritt chirped as he flopped _The Savage Detective_ on his chest and held up his hands with peace signs. "You got me."

Henley chose that moment to casually walk down the winding staircase.

"Freeze! Hands in the air!" the head fed commanded.

"Oh my!" Henley exclaimed with a gasp as she snapped on her black glove before pretending to regain her composure. "Do one of you guys mind giving us a hand with our bags?"

"You and your friends just committed an international crime, Ms. Reeves," the senior agent reminded her sternly.

"Allegedly committed," Daniel corrected.

"Still, you're not exactly in a position to be asking for favors."

"Oh, okay then," Henley dismissed casually. "I just hope nobody steals our suitcases while we're gone...along with any possibly incriminating evidence inside them."

The leader of the pack let out a heavy breath as he pressed his lips into a thin line. However, when he looked toward his coworkers and jerked his head up the stairs, Henley knew she had won. Within a few minutes, each of the magicians' rooms had been cleared out and half of the SWAT-in-SUITS team was loaded up with the Horsemen's luggage. The other half of the agents paired up to escort the magical criminals out of the hotel and back to interrogation as quickly and painlessly as possible.

"What? No cuffs-to-the-wrists, gun-to-the-back thing?" Merritt inquired before shaking his head in disappointment. "To be honest, this is kind of a let-down. You guys aren't nearly as cool in real life as you are in the movies."

"Shut up," one of the feds grumbled as he grabbed Merritt by the shoulder and shoved him out the door of the suite and into the hallway.

"Relax, Burnette," another agent spoke up as he followed from behind with Daniel. "He's just the mind-reader, trying to worm his way into your head to psyche you out. She's the one you need to watch out for," he warned with a jerk of his gun toward Ember, who was the next one out the door. "She's the pyro of the operation."

"Oi!" Ember exclaimed. "First of all, I'm a pyro-technician, not a pyro, and yes there is a difference! Second of all," Ember tugged at the shoulders of her tight t-shirt, "do I look like I have anything up my sleeves?"

A small smoke bomb dropped from the inside of Ember's metallic silver fingerless gloves and exploded right at the feet of her escorts.

"Oopsie. I guess I did," Ember responded in a fake-innocent voice as the two feds fell to their knees in a coughing fit.

The lead agent and two more agents dropped the bags they were carrying and charged at the Irish girl. The two big ones slammed Ember against the wall to frisk her for any other tricks while the one in charge pulled out a pair of handcuffs, grabbed Ember's wrists, and roughly jerked them behind her back, causing the blonde to let out a muffled squeal.

Jack was led out in the hall just in time to hear Ember whimpering in pain. "Hey! Get your filthy hands off her!" Jack snapped, his muscles tensing to attack when he saw the agents feeling up his gir-I mean, his best friend.

However, Henley gave Jack a hard look and he backed down. "Why are you cuffing her?! I thought you said you couldn't charge us!" the redhead demanded.

"Maybe not for robbery," the senior fed explained, "but I can definitely charge her with resisting arrest and attacking two federal agents."

"Oh please, like that'll hold up in front of a jury," Ember challenged with a scoff, her cheek still pressed up against the wall.

The main suit leaned in so his face was just inches from Ember's. "You just threw an explosive device at two of my men!"

Ember shrugged to the best of her ability. "You call it attacking, I call it picking up my costume gloves by mistake and accidentally dropping the prop that I'd forgotten was inside. Key word, prop...as in a small harmless device used solely for the purpose of crowd-pleasing-entertainment."

The leader tightened the cuffs even more, which made Ember wince from the painful pinching. "You want fun? Wait until we get you in the box, then you'll have some real fun."

"Oh that's it!" Jack growled before leaping away from his escorts and tackling the balding fed to the ground. Merritt, Daniel, and Henley tried to pull Jack out of the fray and regain control of the situation, but the Horsemen were seriously outnumbered.

"Cuff 'em all!" the senior agent snapped as he got to his feet and rubbed his jaw, which was sore from Jack punching him. He hit the down button on the elevator.

"I'll bet you wish it was Tranny Tuesday, don't you, Agent Fuller?" Merritt asked obnoxiously. "At least that way you'd have something to look forward to when you get home."

The suit froze as his face flushed a deep shade of red. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered as he pushed the button again, but apparently the elevator wasn't fast enough for the agent to escape this conversation.

"Sure ya do," Merritt insisted. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. You're an FBI agent just following in the footsteps of Hoo-"

"You know what, this elevator's taking too long. I'll just take the stairs and meet you guys down there," Agent Fuller interrupted before fleeing down the hall to the service stairs.

After recovering from the initial confusion at being abandoned by their leader, once the second-in-command was satisfied that the Horsemen wouldn't resist or attempt to escape their restraints, he and his fellow feds led the Horsemen down the elevators and through the casino toward the exit. Even though the magicians were handcuffed and being escorted out of the Aria by armed federal agents, they still acted like celebrities and acknowledged their adoring fans all the way out the door until they were shoved - separately - into the bulletproof FBI vehicles.

 _*{0}*_

 **[AN I love these interrogation scenes as much as the next girl, but I'm only going to write out two of them (the two that are really changed by the addition of Ember to the cast). However, I will explain and refer to the other three in the following chapter]**

 _Click_!

Ember looked up from her chipped nail polish to see a petite blonde woman and a gruff unshaved man, both in suits, stroll into the interrogation room. Ember sighed dramatically. "Seriously? The infamous 'good cop, bad cop' ploy? You Americans are so unoriginal."

"Actually," the blonde spoke up in an authentic French accent as she sat down across from Ember, "I am not American. Alma Dray, Interpol, and this is FBI Agent Dylan Rhodes."

"Oh right," Ember replied with a grin of realization. "I figured they'd get the French involved...I just thought it would take longer. So, how do you like Las Vegas?"

The dark-haired man slammed the file he'd been carrying down on the table. "This isn't high tea with Queen Elizabeth, sweetheart, so cut the chit chat." Ember's eyes narrowed, causing Dylan to smirk. Clearly he knew Ember was Irish and that associating her as part of the United Kingdom would tick her off. "Now, which name would you prefer?" Dylan continued as he picked up the file and casually thumbed through the papers. "Ember Jinx,...Demitria Ruby,...or Aednat Hawthorne?"

Ember's face went almost as pale as her hair, but she refused to let these agents see her quiver. The platinum blonde girl crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged nonchalantly. "The name on the billboard is Ember Jinx so I don't really see why the other two matter."

"Well, according to these records, Demitria Ruby puts you as a former employee of Three Rings."

"And here I'd thought I'd put those bad days behind me," Ember retorted airily.

"Three Rings...I think I remember that place," Dylan mused nostalgically as he turned his gaze toward Alma. "It's a sleazy strip club right on the edges of the city. FBI's been trying to nail the owner, Rick Moran, for years, mostly because of his ties to the Irish mob."

"Why didn't you? Would've made my life a whole lot easier," Ember muttered as she squirmed in her seat.

"Yeah, it probably would've," Dylan agreed, "since Aednat Hawthorne ties you right back to Rick...as his niece."

Ember shrugged again. "Can't pick your family."

"Speaking of family, was he grooming you to take over the family business?"

Ember rolled her eyes.

"Did he teach you how to steal from clients while you were stripping for 'em? Is that how you learned to rob a bank from another continent?!"

Ember refused to let this fed ruffle her feathers. "Why don't you go ask Uncle Dick yourself? I'm sure he has a lot of things to answer for."

"I'm not asking him, I'm asking you. So you better start cooperating with us or I'll have you deported!" Dylan threatened.

However, instead of looking intimidated, Ember just smirked. "Sorry, mate, but I'm afraid you can't do that."

"Is that so? And why not...'mate'?"

"Because - as it says in those nice little papers of yours - I'm technically a US citizen."

Dylan immediately snatched up the file and quickly shuffled through the papers while Alma bent over to pick up the ones that fell to the floor. "It doesn't say anything about that in here!" Dylan spat out.

"I believe that's because the paper you're looking for is right here," Ember chirped as she held up a folded piece of paper she had snuck from her pocket.

Dylan seized the paper, his hands scrambling as he tried to unfold it, but it suddenly burst into flames. Alma leapt to her feet while the dark-haired man cried out as he dropped the paper and it burned into nothing, creating no smoke and leaving no residue.

"Oopsie, wrong paper," Ember spoke up as she pulled out the actual paper from under her hat and held it out to Alma. "I'm really having a hard time keeping track of my props these days."

"Don't you go pulling the innocent act on me, missy!" Dylan warned as he stole the paper from the blonde Frenchwoman. "I heard about your little smoke bomb attack earlier."

Ember sighed in exasperation. "Why must you people keep calling it an attack? It was just an accident."

"An accident?!" Dylan repeated. "For all I know, you could secretly be a member of the mob or the IRA and that bomb could've been an act of terrorism!"

"Um, excuse me, but wouldn't the facts of my file disprove that?" Ember challenged.

Alma, who had somehow managed to get the missing paper back from Dylan, came to the Irish girl's rescue. "She is right, Agent Rhodes. It says right here that her mother grew up in the United States-"

"New York City, to be precise," Ember chimed in.

"-and therefore our young fire dancer has dual citizenship."

"Ha! Told you I wasn't bluffing!" Ember gloated.

"Do your fellow Horsemen know about your two other lives?" Dylan shot back.

Ember stayed silent for a few moments. "Those days were not exactly my greatest moments and I prefer not to publicize them."

Dylan tried to hide his grin, but Ember could tell he'd thought he'd found the ammunition he needed. The scruffy suit slowly eased himself into the chair next to Alma. "Well let's make a deal then: you tell me how you robbed that bank in Paris...and I won't tell your friends about your little secret."

Those dark blue orbs hardened like sapphires as Ember glared at Dylan. " _Go hifreann leat_!" she hissed.

"What did you just say to me?!" Dylan questioned angrily. The FBI agent lunged forward as if to force an answer out of Ember until Alma grabbed his arm and dragged Dylan into the corner of the interrogation room before he could sabotage his career. "What's your problem?!" Dylan cried out. "I finally got under her skin! She was finally saying something!"

"Not a very useful 'something'," Alma whispered.

"You understood her?! I thought you were just a desk agent!"

The Frenchwoman chose to ignore the 'desk agent' comment. "I spent half a year in Dublin when I was in university. I learned some Gaelic expressions while I was there...including _'go hifreann leat'_."

"Well what does it mean?!"

Alma sighed. "'To hell with you'."

Dylan whipped his head around to look at Ember.

"Aww, did I hurt the big bad federal agent's feelings?" Ember asked with a little girl pout.

"Just wait until your crimes catch up with you!" Dylan responded as he swiftly scooped up the scattered contents of his file from the table. "Then we'll see who's crying."

And with that, Dylan stormed out of the interrogation room. Alma moved to follow, but she turned back to see Ember innocently waving goodbye, looking more smug than scared. Obviously Ember had far more up her sleeve than flashpaper and smoke bombs.

 _*{0}*_

"Ugh!" Dylan grunted after yet another successful interrogation, this time with Henley. The redhead was so relaxed that she was 'magically' spinning one of the chairs on its leg. "Three magicians down and so far not one of them has said anything I can use against 'em!"

"We still have two more left," Alma reminded him.

Dylan glanced sideways at the window into Jack's room only to find the young pickpocket stretched out with his feet up on the table and his eyes closed in peaceful slumber. "Oh yeah, like this kid's gonna help us."

"Actually, I may have an idea for that," Agent Fuller spoke up as he appeared from around the corner.

"Oh really? You gonna let him come to your house next Tuesday and watch without paying the price of admission?" Dylan sniped teasingly.

Alma rolled her eyes at Dylan's immature pettiness.

Fuller flushed a deep shade of red. "Well, remember what I said about what went down at the hotel? How the Horsemen were unusually calm and cocky for being under arrest?"

Dylan blinked. "Fuller, either tell me something helpful or back off and let me do my job."

"I'm just saying that when Jinx dropped that smoke bomb, my men got rough with her and Wilder suddenly got," Fuller rubbed his bruised jaw at the memory, "...a lot less calm. And the rest of the Horsemen panicked, like they were afraid he would let something slip if he lost his cool."

"So, you think that Jack Wilder is the weak link of the Horsemen?" Alma questioned.

"With a weakness for Ember Jinx, especially when her safety is threatened." Dylan's scowl turned into a cocky smirk and he clapped his fellow fed on the shoulder. "Thanks, Fuller! If this works, I'll owe you a beer!" And with that, the scruffy suit grabbed his files and strode into the interrogation room with a newfound confidence and Alma following at his heels. "Y'know, most people wouldn't find an interrogation room a relaxing environment for a nap."

Jack woke up, stretched out his arms (as far as he could considering his wrists were shackled), and shrugged dismissively. "Y-Yeah, well, I'm not like most people."

"You nervous, Jackie?" Dylan prodded.

"N-No," Jack denied. "Wh-Why would you think that?"

"You stuttered," Dylan commented. "Three times since we've come in here. Now, I'm no psychologist, but I have interviewed hundreds of criminals and I've learned a few things...like the fact that people stutter when they're nervous or guilty."

Jack cleared his throat and leaned his upper body toward the table. "Ask me your questions," he replied in a slow and deliberate voice. "I've got nothing to hide."

However, after about ten minutes of Alma and Dylan following standard interrogating procedure, it was clear from Jack's silence that the brown-eyed pickpocket had plenty to hide. So, Dylan subtly punched his leg under the table to signal to Alma that it was time to use their secret weapon. Alma blinked in understanding.

Suddenly, Dylan punched the table and sprung up from his chair before storming into the back corner of the room. "This is useless!"

Jack began to chuckle at Dylan's frustration

"Agent Rhodes, calm down!" Alma insisted as she stood up and pretended to try to comfort her pissed off American partner. "We still have one left!"

"Yeah well that little firebug better gimme something good if she expects to walk outta here!" Dylan growled.

Jack's laughter suddenly stopped as his entire body tensed.

Dylan, knowing that he was on the right track, continued his act and banged on the window. "Hey, Martino!"

A Hulkish agent opened the door. "Whassup, Rhodes?"

"I need you to prep Ember Jinx for interrogation."

Jack slowly lowered his legs off the table and straightened his posture.

"What kind o' prep you talkin'?" Martino asked in his intimidating baritone voice.

"The kind that'll make her sing like a frikkin' canary," Dylan answered gruffly.

The mountain-of-muscle grinned darkly. "My favorite kind."

Jack leapt out of his seat to attack the feds, but his shackles held him back. "You so much as breathe her air and I'll saw you in half and scatter the pieces so nobody can you back together!"

Martino and Dylan grabbed the resistant pickpocket by his shoulders and managed to shove him back down into his chair, but not before Alma tightened Jack's shackles to make sure he couldn't try anything else. Dylan dismissed Martino...for the time being.

"Ooh! Looks like I hit a nerve there," Dylan mocked. "I mean I could just go ahead and charge you with assaulting and threatening a federal agent...unless you change your attitude and tell me everything about your little cross-continental crime."

Jack's face hardened and he stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to say a word.

"Suit yourself," Dylan dismissed with a shrug. "Martino!"

"Don't you touch her!" Jack barked as he slammed his hands on the metallic desk.

"Then talk!" the scruffy fed spat back as he, too, leaned into the table. "How did you rob that bank?!"

"Y-You think Ember and I know how that worked?! W-We're the kids of the group! The other three tell us what to do a-and we do it!"

Dylan pulled back, crossing his arms as he chuckled in amusement. "Wow, you really don't know anything about her, do you?"

"More than you do," Jack muttered.

"Would you stake your life on that?"

"I-In a heartbeat."

"Well it's a good thing we pulled out outta that casino, then, 'cause you're a terrible better."

"Wh-What are you t-talking about?!" Jack questioned nervously.

Dylan glanced at Alma. "Agent Dray, would you mind giving us a little privacy? Mr. Wilder and I need to have a little conversation, mano a mano."

At first, Alma seemed offended, but when she realized it was part of Dylan's plan, she nodded obediently and slipped outside.

As soon as the door closed behind the Interpol agent, Dylan raised his hands to his side in surrender. "Look, I don't you what's going on between the two of you, and far-be-it from me to get involved in a lovers' spat-"

"We're not lovers," Jack quickly corrected, but there was something wistful in his tone that made it sound like he wished he was lying.

"Call it whatever you want," Dylan waved off. "My point is...Ember's got some pretty big secrets she's hiding from you. They all do."

Jack bit the inside of his cheek to keep his composure.

Dylan suppressed a smirk. He rested his elbows on the table and leaned in so he and Jack were only six inches apart. "Listen, Jack, I like you. I don't think you're a real criminal. And like you said, you're the kid of the group. You don't deserve to go down for what the others are doing. So, if you help me bring down the Horsemen, I'll talk to the judge about cutting a deal."

Jack pressed his lips together as he anxiously drummed his fingers on the table. "Wh-What about Ember?"

Dylan hissed. "Sorry, but seeing as she's not American, she falls under Interpol's jurisdiction. I'm afraid my hands are tied."

The pickpocket's softening brown eyes turned back into rocks as he put his emotionless mask back on. "Then I-I'm done talking."

The angered agent wanted to flip the table, but he managed to hold on to his casual air. "If you say so," Dylan replied with a huff before he stood up, grabbed his jacket off the chair, and began to put it on. "If you'll excuse me, I've gotta go make some calls about sending you and Ember to prisons on opposite side of the globe."

Jack stood up from with such force that it almost knocked his chair to the floor. He locked eyes with Dylan and proceeded to speak in a smoother, stronger, more dangerous voice than he ever had before. "If you think those threats will get Ember to talk, you clearly don't know her as well as you think you do. She'd rather light herself on fire than be a snitch. And if you even think about hurting her, you'll see just how fast - and permanently - we can make a man disappear."

And with that, Jack sat back down in his chair, kicked his feet up on the table, crossed his arms behind his head, and closed his eyes in peaceful slumber, all while smirking cockily. Dylan's face reddened with rage as he snatched up his files and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Why did you not promise Ember's safety?" Alma asked bitterly from her spot at the window. "Surely he would have talked."

"Because if he found out I was lying, it wouldn't matter if he talked because he never would've testified," Dylan argued. "So, if I couldn't turn a Horseman to our side, I figured I'd plant just enough doubt in his mind about the, uh, Horsewoman he's closest to."

"Breaking their bond of trust and eventually breaking them from the inside," Alma finished. She pursed her lips pensively. "It could work...but how long would it take?"

"Not too long. Look at him," Dylan responded with a jerk of his chin toward the young brunette, who had already lost his confidence as he squirmed in his seat. "Now, who's last?"

Alma passed Dylan a file labeled _Atlas, J. Daniel_. "Daniel Atlas, an obsessive and controlling perfectionist with an ego that could fill its own wing in the Louvre. He is also the illusionist and the self-proclaimed leader of the Five Horsemen."

Dylan skimmed over the papers and then snapped the folder shut. "Well let's go see if his pride proves to be his downfall."

 _*{0}*_

"Ms. Jinx," a female fed spoke up as she poked her head into Ember's interrogation room.

Ember looked up from her nails, which were now polish-free from her nervous habit. "Yeah?"

The agent hesitated before approaching the Irish girl and proceeding to unlock her cuffs. "You have a ride waiting for you outside, courtesy of Arthur Tressler. You and the Horsemen are free to go."

Ember gave the woman a toothy grin. "You're a saint, love," the platinum blonde chirped as she stood up from her chair, her every word dripping with insincerity.

The suit-in-a-skirt rolled her eyes but gestured for Ember to follow her outside. However, Jack was released at the same time.

"Ember!" Jack called out before he raced down the hallway and threw his arms around the fire-dancer, causing her white newsboy cap to fall off as he practically lifted her off her feet. Ember squeaked in surprise at the pickpocket's unexpected enthusiasm. "You're okay! Thank God you're okay!" Jack panted as he raked his hands through Ember's tangled curls. Suddenly, he pulled back, cradling Ember's head in his hands so he could look at her whole face. "Y-You're okay, right?!"

"I'm okay!" Ember insisted with a genuine smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Jack sighed as he softly caressed Ember's right cheek with his thumb. "I-I was just afraid they'd hurt you."

"Hurt me?!" the Irish girl repeated in confusion. "Why would they-" One look into Jack's big brown eyes and Ember didn't even need to finish her question. She could see the pain, the fear, the relief...and the uncertainty. Ember gently laid her hands over Jack's. "I promise you, they didn't touch me."

Jack grinned in relief, which caused Ember to giggle.

"Um, hello?" Daniel cut in obnoxiously. "If you two are done with your little reunion, we have a show to perform."

Ember blinked back the tears that had been welling up in her eyes while Jack dropped to the ground to pick up her hat. Henley immediately smacked Daniel in the shoulder for interrupting the potential lovers, which led to a whispered argument between the ex-lovers. Merritt cleared his throat loudly to remind his associates where they were. The other four Horsemen nodded, took a collective deep breath, and followed their federal escorts out of the building with cocky smirks and chins held high.

The magicians found two chauffeured silver cars waiting for them at the curb. Daniel opened the door to the first one so Henley could get in, but the redhead rolled her eyes at the illusionist's attempts at chivalry after ruining Jack and Ember's moment earlier. Merritt clapped Danny on the shoulder and slid into the sedan beside Henley, causing Daniel to scoff irritably. The brunette with the icy eyes slammed the door shut and followed Jack and Ember to the other car.

"Did you get the phone?" Ember asked quietly from her middle seat.

Daniel smirked as he pulled Dylan's blackberry, which was identical to the one Ember had been using less than two hours ago. "Was there ever any doubt?"

Ember and Jack both pinched their thumbs and index fingers so they almost touched (the international symbol for 'a little bit').

"Oh come on!" Daniel exclaimed.

Once the Horsemen were settled, the drivers pulled away from the FBI building and headed for the MGM Grand, where Arthur Tressler was waiting in his penthouse. As soon as the Horsemen showered and changed, they would be on their way to the airport to catch a ride to New Orleans on Tressler's private jet...and just in time for Mardi Gras.

 _*{0}*_

 **Okay so I started this chapter all the way back during Labor Day weekend...and seeing that this is the second weekend of October, I've officially lost my summer-update-habits (actually this was going to be published a week ago, but stupid Fanfiction logged me out when I hit the save button, so I lost at least 3000 words and 4 hours of work, which ticked me off so much I just had to walk away for the day). But hey, do you have any idea of how much free time a girl has when she's a college sophomore who is (officially) majoring in communication studies, (possibly) minoring in theatre, studying pre-med (at least for now), and going through the recruitment process for a national gender-inclusive honors fraternity?! The correct answer, at least in family-friendly language, would be "not a lot"! On the bright side, I have calculated from the movie that I have exactly 7 chapters left to write for this story! Unfortunately, I have at least one other story to update before I get back to this one, so my ETU (estimated time of update) is sometime between now and Christmas. I know that's really vague and really far out, but here's a spoiler to keep you interested in the meantime:**

 _"Ember?" Jack called out as he knocked on the door to the Irish girl's dressing room. "Y-You there?"_

 _But there was no response. Jack quietly wrapped his hand around the doorknob and twisted, but it was locked shut. Suddenly, Jack's hair stood on end. What if that man from Las Vegas had followed them out here? What if he was in there right now?! Jack pulled out his old tools, dropped to one knee, and picked the lock. He opened the door, walked inside, and closed the door behind him right as Ember was stepping out of the bathroom...wearing nothing but a strapless black lace bra and matching black lace boy-short underwear. Her platinum blonde curls were straightened, causing her hair to flow all the way down to her waist. Jack froze in place, unable to move, speak, or even think. Ember, completely oblivious of Jack's presence, stood in front of the mirror with her back to Jack and proceeded to brush her glossy blonde locks into two high side ponytails, finally giving Jack a full view of that body art he'd seen on the plane._ _Once Ember was satisfied that her pigtails were balanced, she bent over the settee to pick up her costume and tilted the full-length mirror just ever so slightly, but it was enough for a certain visitor to come into view._

 _"Jack?!" Ember squealed, her cheeks a bright red when she realized the pickpocket had seen her close to naked. "What the hell are you doing in here?!"_

 _The Irish girl snatched a short purple silk robe (courtesy of the Savoy in honor of Mardi Gras) off the settee and wrapped it around herself. For some reason, the robe made Ember look even more beautiful - maybe because the royal purple brought out the electric blue in her eyes or maybe because Jack now knew what was underneath the robe - so Jack had to shake his head to give her a clear answer._

 _"I, uh, I j-just wanted to, um, finish our co-conversation fr-from yesterday," Jack replied, his stutter worse than it had been in years._

 _Ember uncrossed her arms, knowing that Jack wasn't the pervert type, and gestured for the brown-eyed boy to have a seat. "Is this about what happened right before the show?"_

 _Jack sat down on the settee, making sure not to wrinkle Ember's costume. "That...a-and what the feds tried to tell me."_

 _Ember blanched._

 _"Does it have something to do w-with that ink?"_

 _Ember chuckled wryly when she realized Jack must've seen her tattoo when he came in. "It's a long story."_

 _Jack glanced at his watch and saw that they still had an hour before the curtain went up, which meant they had forty five minutes before Daniel hunted the two of them down. "We've got time."_

 _Ember sighed as she blinked back her tears, but she knew it was time to come clean. "It all started in Ireland about eight years ago..."_

 **Yep, that oughta keep y'all hooked until further notice. As you can probably guess, this next chapter is one of my personal favorites because it's chock-full of Merritt sass and Jember fluff. So stick around and it'll be up soon enough! Love y'all and please please review cuz this chapter took weeks to write in between organic chemistry and biology labs and exams!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Merry Christmas y'all (in the Catholic faith Christmas season continues until the Epiphany Feast on January 6 so I didn't break my promise to update between October 8 and Christmas)! Big announcement: I finally dropped pre-med! Why, you ask? In short, I hated my pre-med classes/labs and I was miserable because I was studying too hard and yet I didn't have the grades to show for it. And while the curves in both classes inflated my grades enough that they didn't murder my GPA, they certainly did maul it. However, all of this was for the better. The gender-inclusive honors fraternity which I am now an official brother in only looks at the GPA before initiation, which was pretty impressive; those low test grades were the kick in the butt I needed to realize medicine is now the path for me; I can finally take classes in subjects that I enjoy that will also help me in a career that is far better suited for my presenting/writing talents; AND I'LL FINALLY HAVE TIME TO UPDATE MY STORIES MORE REGULARLY!**

 **I have so so many people I need to thank for supporting me despite my 2+ month update gap!**

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 **Reviewers:** _IamTheDoctorsDaughter_ **( _you want more, you get more!),_** _Blindluck92_ ** _(I can't even choose which part of your review to reply to cuz it's all so perfect!),_** _Slytherin's-one-and-only_ ** _(loved the review!),_** _CharitinaX_ ** _(when I read "The best Jack/OC story on this website. Hands down", I pretty much started crying in joy),_** _booklover1898_ ** _(and I love your feedback),_** _Storythriver123 _**_(if I don't add a cliffhanger, how else would I keep your attention over my extended absences?),_** _Zephyr169_ ** _[thank you :) I always take pride in my (story's) ability to stand out from the norm],_** _Guest_ ** _(don't worry I'm writing)_**

 **Disclaimer: oh yeah cuz I totally spent the last few months acquiring the rights to this franchise in between almost failing organic chemistry and dealing with a partner in my acting class who had the work ethic of a second semester high school senior but the arrogance and ego of Daniel Atlas!**

 _*Friday, February 28, somewhere above the United States*_

"Oh Jack, you have such skilled fingers!" a woman cooed.

Ember's eyes snapped open in alarm. _'Please let this be a nightmare_!' the Irish girl pleaded silently, her sense of panic warding off any grogginess from her nap. She slowly turned her head to the left and saw Jack sitting across from Jasmine Tressler, Artie's umpteenth drop-dead-gorgeous wife (who also happened to look like a slightly older, wealthier, sweeter, less trashy version of Veronica). However, Ember let out a breath of relief when she realized that Jasmine was only watching Jack do some simple sleight of hand tricks. Unfortunately, unlike most trophy wives, Jasmine actually had a brain and a sense of subtlety, which meant she not only figured out that Jack was in that vulnerable post-breakup state, but she also knew how to flirt with cute magicians effectively without alerting her uber-wealthy husband.

Ember rolled her eyes. Why did Daniel have to take away her phone?! At least then she could've spent the rest of the flight blasting her favorite music instead of listening to Jasmine's drivel. The blonde stood up from her seat, shuffled over to Art's pretentious minibar, and was about to pour herself a fancy-monogrammed-glass of Irish whiskey when she realized she accidentally stumbled on to a very interesting conversation (which she definitely wouldn't have been able to hear if she'd been playing on her phone so...thanks Danny?).

"Um... Allow me to make plain what we've both been thinking," Merritt spoke up as he fiddled with his hat.

"And what's that?" Henley inquired suspiciously as she angled her head toward Merritt's couch

"Well, obviously, you have feelings of affection for Daniel. Unrequited and misguided, owing to his lack of emotional availability."

Henley stretched her neck out slightly so she could peek at the front of the jet, expecting to see her ex-boyfriend hitting on a stewardess. Instead, Danny was also straining to see what was going on at the opposite end of the plane.

Merritt continued with his psychological analysis. "Consequently, you're very tightly...how should I put it? Um...corked?"

"Oh, I am?" Henley questioned innocently.

"Now, recognizing that you have physical needs not being met, and strictly in the vein of helping a sister out, I invite you to think of me as your own personal...corkscrew."

"Wow. Thanks. Let me mull over that offer of cheap and meaningless sex," Henley replied with a flick of her wrist.

"Cheap and meaningless, maybe," Merritt cut in, "but, uh, not time-consuming."

Henley couldn't hold in her laughter at Merritt's audacity, causing the mentalist to smirk. While he definitely wouldn't refuse Henley if she decided to take him up on his offer, his main goal was to make her smile, which he managed to accomplish.

"You know, Merritt..." Ember spoke up, not even looking at the other two Horsemen as she poured a small amount of whiskey before turning around to sit on the edge of the minibar. "Back in Ireland, a man has to at least buy a girl a drink first before making such a proposition." Ember shook her glass slightly to emphasize her point as she crossed one leg over the other and took a sip of her whiskey.

"Yeah well you're not in Ireland anymore, McDorothy," Merritt teased. "Here in the great US of A, if a guy wants to get into a girl's pants, ain't nothin' stopping him. That's just the American way, sweetheart."

Jack clapped his hand over his mouth to stifle his snicker...not because he agreed with Merritt, but because he knew the mentalist had just dug his own grave.

Ember chuckled richly, put down her glass, slowly stood up from her seat, leaned against the dividing door frame, and crossed her arms over her chest with an innocent grin. "Merritt, darling, we've been working together for a year. You should know by now that I'm no sweetheart." Ember winked mischievously before whipping her head around and looking pointedly at Jasmine, who immediately stiffened in discomfort and slipped away to sit nearer to her husband. Ember smirked victoriously and took the woman's seat facing Jack. "Honestly, Yank, do you really think it's a smart idea to let our benefactor's wife shamelessly flirt with you?"

"Fl-Flirt?! Sh-She asked me to do some tricks for her s-so that's what I did!" Jack defended.

"Oh, well if that's all it was..." Ember dismissed sarcastically as she held up her hands in mock surrender.

Rather than argue more, Jack furrowed his brow in concern and moved to sit on Ember's armrest. "Em, wh-what's up with you, lately?" the pickpocket murmured, wrapping an arm around the fire-dancer's shoulders comfortingly.

Ember sighed as she rested her head on Jack's thigh. "I don't like watching people take advantage of others," she murmured, "especially when those others are people I care about. And, Jack, I know you miss Veronica, but-"

"I don't," Jack interrupted.

"H-Huh?!" Ember stammered as she sat straight up.

"I don't miss Veronica," Jack stated. "In fact, I-I haven't even thought of her since we got back from Paris."

"Y-You haven't?!"

"Well...until now that is," the brown-haired magician pointed out, but the twinkle in his eyes told Ember that he wasn't hurting anymore.

"So, you're not hung up on Veronica anymore?" Ember questioned.

"Nah. I-I just realized that she wasn't for me anyway."

"She wasn't?"

"I-I want a girlfriend who can be my girlfriend...a-and my best friend. Y'know, someone I-I can talk to about anything, someone who's fun, someone who knows how t-to laugh a-and smile and..." Jack could feel himself falling into a trance looking into those sapphire orbs blinking right up at him. "Someone who's got...really...beautiful...eyes..."

As if by some magnetic force, the two magicians leaned in toward each other until...

 _BAM!_

The plane shook, causing the passengers to squeal as they jostled in their seats. Art's drink came way too close to spilling all over his 10,000 dollar suit, a flight attendant fell on top of Daniel, Merritt rolled off his couch onto the floor, and Jack landed on his back in the middle of the aisle.

"Jack!" Ember cried out as she tried to grab the pickpocket, but she got pulled right on top of him.

"I know we pissed off the feds today, but is the FBI really authorized to shoot down a private jet?!" Merritt hollered.

Tressler, his people, and the Horsemen continued to scream until the plane stabilized.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking. We apologize for the turbulence. It would seem we got caught in the edge of a storm, but there is no need for alarm. We've cleared the storm and should be arriving in New Orleans in roughly one hour. You may not return to your seats and, just as a precaution, please buckle your seatbelts."

"Hey! Lovebirds! You heard the pilot!" Merritt called out, letting out a groan as he pulled himself to his feet. "Back in your seats! Ember, stop straddling Jack! And Jack, keep it in your pants!"

Ember whipped her head around to glare at the nosy mind-reader while Jack's face flushed a deep red. The blonde - suddenly grateful she'd made that last minute decision to wear her low-slung gray cargo pants rather than her denim shorts - scrambled off of Jack before extending a hand to pull him to his feet.

"Speaking of which," Merritt continued, "Henley, you're gonna love this story..." And so, the balding magician proceeded to entertain the redhead with his dirty yet hilarious sense of humor.

"Well, now what?" Jack asked as he moved back to his seat, making sure to lower his voice so Art and his people didn't hear him. "W-We still have to wait for Danny's cue to...y-you know..."

"I've got an idea! Why don't I sketch you?" Ember proposed.

"Y-You know how to draw, too?"

"Don't look so surprised, Yank," Ember teased. "I'm a woman of many talents."

"Clearly," Jack said with a chuckle. "Talented magician, beautiful dancer, total whiz with anything that lights on fire or explodes, sass-master, a-and now an artist! I-Is there anything you don't do?!"

Ember propped her elbow on her knee, pursed her lips pensively, and tapped her chin with her finger as if she actually had to think hard about that. "Hmm...show up on time," the blonde answered, "and sing. Psh I can't sing to save my life!"

"Not even in the shower?"

"Please! That whole 'everybody sings well in the shower' thing is completely overrated. Last time I tried, I sounded like a bloody banshee!"

"Oh so that's what that was!" Jack breathed out. "I-I mean we live on the Lower East side so I-I just thought somebody was murdering a cat in the alley."

Ember scoffed playfully before she punched Jack in the shoulder.

"Hey! You started it!" Jack insisted with a grin.

"Yeah but you didn't have to agree with it!" Ember argued back. The two youngest Horsemen shared a long and hearty laugh. "Okay, let's make a deal," Ember offered in between breaths. "You hold still long enough for me to draw you, and I'll promise to never sing at any of your birthday parties."

Jack mimicked Ember's pensive expression from earlier. "I can deal with those terms." He extended a hand.

Ember went along with the act by narrowing her eyes and tilting her head like a shrewd businesswoman before shaking Jack's hand. "Pleasure doing business with you." The young magicians shared a grin before Ember stood up and pulled her duffel bag out of the overhead compartment. "Oh no! I can't find my sketchbook! Merritt, did you swipe it?!"

"Why you blaming me?!" Merritt snapped back. "You're the one sitting with our sleight-of-hand expert! Now, as I was saying..."

Ember looked toward Jack with a raised eyebrow.

Jack glanced at the bag and noticed the zipper was partly open. "D-Did you check the back of the overhead compartment?" he proposed. "I-It might've fallen out and slid around during the turbulence."

Ember shrugged, turned her back to Jack, and opened the compartment again, but this time she had to stand on the toes of her beige and gold high-top skater sneakers to reach in.

"S-So how did you learn to..." Jack started to ask, but he suddenly lost his train of thought. All the stretching and reaching had caused Ember's white tank top to ride up and reveal a small patch of yellow and orange on her back. Was that a tattoo?! Since when did Ember have a tattoo?! And what was it a tattoo of?! And why did Ember never mention it?! But most importantly, how had Jack never noticed it?!

"Learn to what?" Ember inquired in a strained voice as she felt around for her sketchbook.

"Oh, um, d-draw, learn to draw?" Jack stuttered, forcing himself to tear his eyes off Ember's backside.

The Irish girl finally managed to snag her sketchbook out of the overhead compartment. "It's kind of an inevitable skill when you grow up with artists as parents." Ember began to dig around in her duffel bag for her pencils.

"Y-You never really talk about your parents," Jack added.

 _'Oh no! Here comes the 'what happened to them' question,'_ Ember thought in dread as she continued to sift through her clothes for her art supplies.

However, Jack surprised her. "Wh-What were they like?"

Ember was so caught off guard that she almost stabbed herself with her pencils. "Free spirits," she murmured. The blonde laid her pencils and sketchpad on her seat so she could zip her duffel bag up and stash it in the overhead compartment.

"Y'know, i-if I'm gonna sit here like a statue, y-you're gonna have to tell me a story to keep me entertained."

Ember chuckled softly as she sat back down in her seat facing Jack. She started twisting her still-damp ponytail into a bun. "My parents met about thirty years ago. My great-grandfather on my Mum's side had just passed away. Mum took a semester off from university so she could explore Ireland, learn more about her family history, see the home of her ancestors-"

"Killarga?"

Ember couldn't help but smile as she jammed a pencil through her bun to keep her hair from falling out. "You remembered."

"I never forget anything when it comes to you."

The fire-dancer bit her lip to hold back her girly giggle, which Jack thought made her look even prettier. "Anyway, soon after she got there, she went to the local library to research her family tree. She brought all the books she'd found to a local park. After a while, she got bored and started painting the park landscape. Eventually, she noticed a young man watching her. Now, Mum grew up in New York so she wasn't afraid of direct confrontation."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Jack commented, causing Ember to laugh heartily. "So, what happened?"

Ember leaned forward so she could angle Jack's face and shoulders in a way that was aesthetically flattering (a very easy task) yet comfortable for him to hold for an extended amount of time. "Mum was about to give the man a tongue lashing when she realized he was drawing."

"What was he drawing?" Jack questioned.

Ember picked up her sketchbook and flipped to the first page, upon which was taped a drawing of a woman sitting on a bench with an easel in front of her and her eyes gazing off into the distance. "Her."

"Whoa!" Jack breathed out as he reached forward to hold the sketchbook.

"Jack, I can't do this if you keep squirming!" Ember reprimanded teasingly before fixing the pickpocket's posture again.

"Sorry, i-it's just...wow! Y-You look so much like her," Jack murmured.

Ember's lips quirked up in a sad half-smile because Jack was right. With her pixie-like features, deep blue eyes, and petite figure, Ember did look like her mother. In fact, the only difference was the hair and skin. Ember's mum was half-Irish and half-Scandinavian, but the Celtic genes had won out, meaning she had tanner skin and golden brown waves.

"What did your dad look like?" Jack mumbled through closed lips.

Ember shrugged in an effort to cover up her sadness. She thumbed back to her blank page and began outlining Jack's face. "Your stereotypical Irishman: lanky and fair skinned with freckles, green eyes, a little bit of scruff, and messy red curls that he always wore in a ponytail."

"Th-Then how are you blonde?" the hazel-eyed boy muttered.

"Mum's mum was of Scandinavian descent. The platinum blonde gene managed to beat out its competition," Ember joked weakly as she started drawing Jack's features. "Anyway, back to the story. Over the next six months my parents fell in love over art, Mum promised she'd return after she finished school, she graduated a year later, she came back to find my dad still waiting for her in Killarga, they got married, had me a few years later...and we were happy..."

"Were?"

Ember looked up from her drawing to see Jack's eyes glistening with sympathy...which was exactly why she never talked about her family. "Ugh! We're flying to Louisiana! Why is it so bloody cold in here?!" Ember exclaimed as she suddenly dropped her sketchbook on her seat, threw open the overhead compartment, and yanked her tight black zip-up hoodie out of it.

"Emmie..." Jack started.

"Stupid zipper!" the Irish girl grunted as her fingers fumbled with the clasp on her hoodie.

Jack stood up; calmly took the edges of the fire dancer's sweatshirt; and slowly but easily zipped it up halfway, stopping right at the bottom of her, um, sternum.

"Thank you," Ember murmured. "But you do realize now I'll have to start over on my drawing."

Jack smirked. "I've got the time."

The two youngest Horsemen settled back into their comfortable silence as Ember repositioned Jack's body and began sketching.

 _*{0}*_

"Guy goes to the doctor," Merritt narrated. "Doctor says, 'Sir, you're gonna have to stop masturbating.' He says, 'Why?' He says, 'So I can finish the examination.'"

Henley burst into laughter, causing Daniel to scowl in irritation before he stood up from his seat and proceeded down the aisle.

"Oh, hey, Danny, can I talk to you about my role in the show real quick?" Jack piped up, breaking his pose.

Ember threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure," Daniel brushed off with a dismissive pat to Jack's cheek before poking his head into Merritt and Henley's section. "Hey, guys?"

Merritt fixed his hat, which had been tilted off balance, and Henley turned toward her ex with that giddy 'I'm trying to stop myself from laughing' face.

"Uh, we got a show to prepare for," Daniel reminded the Horsemen patronizingly as he jerked his head toward Art's seat.

"Oh," Henley acknowledged with a nod, her smile immediately disappearing.

"Oh, do we now?" Merritt replied as he took off his hat, stood up, from the couch, and strolled toward Daniel.

"No, no, no, don't do that. You're not doing that thing to me. No, no, no," Daniel babbled, spinning around and retreating back to the front of the jet so he wouldn't have to be face-to-face with Merritt.

"What thing? I'm just looking at you," Merritt chirped innocently.

Daniel stopped just past Ember's seat and spun back around to glare at Merritt. "No, you're not. I've been watching you for a year. I know all of your little tricks."

"That what they are to you? Tricks?" Merritt tested.

"Yes, it's-it's-it's gimmicks. It's Barnum statements. It's reading the eyes, body language. I get it," Daniel explained with a clap of his hands.

"If it's such an easy thing," Merritt prodded before glancing at the redheaded escape artist behind him, "why don't you do Henley?

"Yeah, Danny. Why don't you do me?" Henley asked with a flirty yet derisive smirk.

"No, you're too easy," Daniel waved off, earning a glare from his ex-assistant/ex-girlfriend. "I'll do, uh, I'll do Jasmine," Daniel dismissed as he grazed his fingers over the shoulder of their benefactor's lovely wife, who immediately smiled up at the illusionist.

"No," a loud British voice interrupted. "Do me."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah. Do Art," Merritt encouraged.

"Okay," Daniel agreed.

"Even better," Merritt commented as he clapped Art on the shoulder and took the seat beside him.

Jasmine and the other three Horsemen all stood up and gathered around the front of the plane to watch. Henley got on her knees on the seat behind Art's and laid her hands on the headrest. Jasmine leaned her elbow on the headrest of Merritt's seat. Meanwhile, Jack spun around in Ember's seat, draped his arms around the headrest and propped his chin on top. Ember took the pencil out of her hair to let her bun unravel into a regular ponytail, dropped her sketchbook on Jack's seat, and stood in the aisle but used Jack's shoulder as an armrest.

"Art," Daniel started.

"Yeah. But I warn you, I can be difficult to read, when I want to be," the aging multimillionaire added.

"Just, uh, stay with me, okay?" Daniel instructed as he pointed to his eyes. He sucked in a breath through his teeth. "So, Art, you were a tough kid. You know, kind of a real," Daniel clenched his fists and waved them jokingly, "rapscallion. You had a dog. A real tough dog. A brutish breed. Like a real...I want to say, Ben the bulldog.

"Actually, I was a prissy little tot. I had a fluffy white cat called Snuffles." The Tresslers and the other four Horsemen shared a good laugh.

"Wow," Merritt commented.

"Ah!" Daniel grunted before he gently smacked the overhead compartment in frustration. "Sorry."

"Wait, let me try one. I can do way better than that," Jack cut in.

"Let him do it," Henley agreed.

"Give him a shot, mate," Ember chimed in.

"Come on, give me one more time. One more time," Daniel pleaded.

"He can do way better than that," Henley insisted.

"Family, let's do family," Daniel continued before he held up a hand to silence the others. "You had an uncle on your mother's side. He had a real, kind of... A real masculine name. A real, kind of, salt-of-the-earth...you know, a real stick-it-to-you...like it was, uh, some kind of Paul...Thompson? Was it a Paul..." Daniel sighed in surrender. "Okay. You know what? I got nothin'."

"Nearly though," Art spoke up.

"Was I?" Daniel inquired curiously.

"Yeah. My uncle's name was Cushman Armitage," Art stated before he started laughing again.

"Really? Snuffles and Cushman Armitage? That was your childhood?" Daniel replied in disbelief.

"I certainly hope tonight's show is gonna be better than this," the white-haired benefactor commented.

All five Horsemen shared a look.

"Don't worry," Daniel reassured. "Just you wait."

" _Attention, passengers, we are getting ready for our descent into New Orleans. Please return to your seats and buckle your seatbelts in preparation for landing_."

The Horsemen followed the pilot's instructions...but not before Ember smacked Jack on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Jack cried out with a grin.

"I told you not to move!" Ember whined playfully.

"Well then take it out on Danny! He's the one who made me move!"

"Yes, well, lucky for both of you, I had just finished."

"Then why'd you hit me?"

"Because I hadn't told you I was done yet so you could have potentially messed up my drawing."

Jack chuckled as he shook his head in disbelief. "Are all Irish girls this feisty or is it just you?"

 _*Friday, February 28, New Orleans, Louisiana*_

"Ember?" Jack called out as he knocked on the door to the Irish girl's dressing room. "Y-You there?"

But there was no response. Jack quietly wrapped his hand around the doorknob and twisted, but it was locked shut. Suddenly, Jack's hair stood on end. What if that man from Las Vegas had followed them out here? What if he was in there right now?! Jack pulled out his old tools, dropped to one knee, and picked the lock. He opened the door, walked inside, and closed the door behind him right as Ember was stepping out of the bathroom...wearing nothing but a strapless black lace bra and matching black lace boy-short underwear. Her platinum blonde curls were straightened, causing her hair to flow all the way down to her waist. Jack froze in place, unable to move, speak, or even think. Ember, completely oblivious of Jack's presence, stood in front of the mirror with her back to Jack and proceeded to brush her glossy blonde locks into two high side ponytails, finally giving Jack a full view of that body art he'd seen on the plane. Once Ember was satisfied that her pigtails were balanced, she bent over the settee to pick up her costume and tilted the full-length mirror just ever so slightly, but it was enough for a certain visitor to come into view.

"Jack?!" Ember squealed, her cheeks a bright red when she realized the pickpocket had seen her close to naked. "What the hell are you doing in here?!"

The Irish girl snatched a short purple silk robe (courtesy of the Savoy in honor of Mardi Gras) off the settee and wrapped it around herself. For some reason, the robe made Ember look even more beautiful - maybe because the royal purple brought out the electric blue in her eyes or maybe because Jack now knew what was underneath the robe - so Jack had to shake his head to give her a clear answer.

"I, uh, I j-just wanted to, um, finish our co-conversation fr-from yesterday," Jack replied, his stutter worse than it had been in years.

Ember uncrossed her arms, knowing that Jack wasn't the pervert type, and gestured for the hazel-eyed boy to have a seat. "Is this about what happened right before the show?"

Jack sat down on the settee, making sure not to wrinkle Ember's costume. "That...a-and what the feds tried to tell me."

Ember blanched.

"Does it have something to do w-with that ink?" the pickpocket asked, his eyes aimed at the reflection of Ember's back in the mirror.

Ember followed Jack's eye line and chuckled wryly when she realized he must've seen her tattoo when he came in. "It's a long story."

Jack glanced at his watch and saw that they still had an hour before the curtain went up, which meant they had forty five minutes before Daniel hunted the two of them down. "We've got time."

Ember sighed as she blinked back her tears, but she knew it was time to come clean. "Remember when we first got the invitation to join the Eye?"

"Yeah?"

"And remember how Merritt said he'd seen me somewhere before?"

"Uh huh. Didn't he mention something about a-a club in Vegas like four years ago?"

"And then I immediately shot him down and he backed off, saying he must have been mistaken."

"What about it?"

Ember wrung her hands. "Merritt was telling the truth. He did see me...at a circus-themed strip club in the outskirts of Vegas known as Three Rings."

"Were you at a bachelorette party or something?" Jack asked.

"No...I was working there." Jack's jaw dropped in shock and Ember's face turned bright red in humiliation. "And that's exactly why I never wanted anybody to know! I mean, what was I supposed to do?! Just walk up to all you serious magicians and say, 'Hi! I'm Ember Jinx! I found my invitation after I finished performing in a sleazy club in Las Vegas where I've spent the last six years as a stripper magician named Demitria Ruby! Want to see me light my bra on fire or pull flashpaper playing cards out of my knickers?!'"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Jack interjected. "Y-You started working in a strip club at sixteen?!"

Ember nodded her head, but she refused to look Jack in the eye.

Jack stood up, cupped Ember's cheeks in his hands, and forced her to lock eyes with him. "Ember, you have nothing to be ashamed of. We all did what we could to survive back then. Merritt relied on his brief time in the limelight to book café gigs and only used his skills to exploit liars; Danny worked on the street and had to bribe just the right people so his simple tricks looked more impressive; Henley wore the tiny costumes she despised just to draw a male crowd; and I wasted my magic talents on distracting tourists so I could steal their wallets, purses, and jewelry! We all have dark secrets, but I know you have a good heart!"

Ember took Jack's hands in her own and lowered them from her face. "You don't know the real me. You don't even know my real name."

The pickpocket returned to his spot on the settee and gestured for Ember to continue.

The fire dancer paced back and forth. "It all started in Ireland about eight-no, ten years ago. My parents were such talented artists, but they were struggling financially. Everybody wants to buy art for the trendiness or the signature...and nobody cared about the signatures of Seamus and Kathleen Hawthorne. We always managed to get by with enough to pay our bills, have an occasional night out, and buy a few Christmas and birthday presents. But then...Mum got cancer."

Jack couldn't come up with the right words, so instead he gently laid Ember's costume on the floor so she could sit beside him on the settee. "Wh-What kind?"

Ember took a deep breath and joined her friend. "Stage three lung cancer. She had asthma, spent the first twenty five years of her life in the smog-filled New York City, and grew up in a family of smokers. It was a perfect storm."

Jack pressed his lips together. Lung cancer had a pretty low survival rate, especially at such a late stage. "Em, I'm so-"

"She survived," Ember blurted.

"W-Wait, what?!" Jack sputtered in confusion.

Ember chuckled in bemusement. "I know, plot twist. But Mum was tough. In fact, the reason they didn't catch the cancer earlier was that Mum refused to let me and Dad see how much pain she was in until we forced her to see a doctor after she kept coughing nonstop for a week. Doctors called her recovery a miracle...but we knew it was because Mum was a fighter."

"If she survived, why do you keep referring to her in the past tense?"

Ember's lip quivered. "Six weeks later, Dad was driving Mum home from the doctor - just a routine checkup to make sure the effects of the treatment weren't temporary - and they got T-boned by a truck."

"Oh, Emmie," Jack whispered as he cradled her blonde head in his arms.

"My mother slogged through a year and a half of needles and surgery and chemotherapy without a single complaint, was revered as a medical miracle, just to die in a bloody car accident with my father at the wheel!" Ember sobbed. "I lost my parents, my home, everything!"

"Was that when you moved to America?" Jack could feel Ember nod against his chest.

"Dad was an only child whose parents passed away before I was born. I had no family left in Ireland...and a hefty debt weighing on my shoulders. After all, cancer treatments cost money, and Mum had to get that money from somewhere...or rather, someone."

Realization dawned on Jack. "That man who attacked you at the Vegas show..."

"Richard Moran, the owner of Three Rings as well as my uncle. He wouldn't let the death of his sister and brother-in-law prevent him from getting his money back. In fact, he even paid for their funeral and my trip to Vegas a week later just so I'd have to work sooner and longer to pay it all back."

Jack could feel his blood starting to boil. "That man made his sixteen year old niece dance around practically naked at his own strip club?!"

Ember scoffed. "It's called family income: I'm his family, and therefore he gets to collect my income...no matter where I work."

Jack practically launched off the settee. "If I ever see that sleazebag again, I'm gonna kill that son of a-"

"Way ahead of you, Yank," Ember interrupted as she grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him back down beside her.

Jack took a deep breath to calm himself down. "So when did the name change come in?"

Ember bit her lip nervously, but she knew this was the best way to explain it. She twisted around and loosened the ties on her robe just enough so the top part slipped off her shoulders and revealed her backside. Jack was finally close enough to appreciate the intricate details of Ember's tattoo. It was some sort of Celtic knot surrounded by flames. Jack couldn't help but trace his fingers along the design, causing Ember to shiver at the unexpected contact.

"What does this symbol mean?" Jack murmured, fighting hard to resist the urge to kiss those beautiful milky white shoulders.

"Fire," Ember breathed out, staring forward at their reflection in the mirror. Jack looked so handsome in that white button-down and black vest. If Daniel wasn't minutes away from busting down her door and busting Jack's balls over distracting the ever-tardy Ember from getting ready for the show, oh the fun the two youngest Horsemen could have. "When I pulled up to the crash site on my bicycle, the car was in flames and the fire brigade was pulling their bodies out. I realized I couldn't change what happened that day, but I could learn to manipulate fire so it would never hurt me the way it hurt my parents. Until that day, my name was Aednat Demitria Brigid Hawthorne. I dreaded the idea of listening to Americans butcher the name my parents blessed me with, so I chose a name with a similar meaning. Aednat is Gaelic for 'little fire', so I went with Ember, and I just changed my confirmation name Brigid to a middle name Bridget."

"And Jinx?"

Ember sniffled as she pulled her robe back up over her shoulders. "I'm a jinx to people I care about."

"Are you kidding?!" Jack exclaimed as he grabbed Ember's shoulders and spun her back around to face him. "The best day of my life was the day I met you! I wouldn't trade that for anything!"

"Oh Jack," Ember murmured as she caressed his cheek.

"Aednat," Jack pronounced flawlessly.

Ember couldn't take it anymore. Throwing caution to the wind, she went for it. Every bit of passion and sexual tension that had been building up over the past year flooded into that kiss. Ember's fingers fumbled to undo Jack's buttons while Jack quickly untied the sash on Ember's robe. It was like they were trying to memorize every inch of each other's bodies with their hands.

 _BANG BANG BANG!_

"EMBER! JACK! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!" Daniel yelled.

"Eep!" Ember squealed.

She clumsily knotted the tie on her robe while Jack scrambled to button back up his shirt. They were both dressed and sitting casually on the settee when Danny stalked into the dressing room...even though their tussled hair, puffy lips, and heavy breathing were indicators of something more than just a friendly chat.

"What the hell, you two?! We're supposed to be on stage in less than thirty minutes and you're not even in costume yet! If you want me to start treating you like adults, you better start acting like it!" Daniel didn't even give them a chance to defend themselves before he stormed back out.

"Well, um," Jack cleared his throat, "I-I guess I better leave so you can, uh, get dressed."

"Jack?" Ember called out, causing him to stop at the door. "Thank you, not just for listening, but for this past year."

Jack gave her a genuine smile. "I meant every word I said. You're no jinx. If anything, you're my lucky four-leaf clover."

"Hmm, I prefer tiger lilies, but still I'm flattered," Ember replied teasingly.

The pickpocket chuckled. "Go get ready. I'll see you out there."

Jack stepped outside and Ember closed the door behind him. However, the two magicians didn't exactly go anywhere. Instead, they simultaneously slid down the door and let out a breathy "Wow!"

 _"Twenty five minutes to curtain! I repeat, twenty five minutes to curtain!"_

 **And BOOM goes the lip rocket! Normally I don't let my characters kiss consensually until, like, the end! But the emotions in this chapter were just too perfect to deny them their smooch! HOWEVER, before I hear the "it was too short and too messy" complaint, keep in mind that this was a very spur of the moment makeout sesh. If you want that full-on romantic fluffy kiss, wait about...six chapters.  
In other news, thank you Blindluck92 for proofreading my chapter over breakfast! Also, if you want and idea of what Ember's tattoo looks like, just take a look at the story image in the top left corner of the chapter. Please leave reviews (nice ones) and I wish y'all a happy holidays! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Woohoo we've hit the allusive double digited chapters! For once, I'm not going to blame my updating absence on my lack of free time...instead I'm gonna blame my writer's block and the inability of six straight seasons of Glee and continuous reruns of NCIS on Netflix to cure said writer's block. Now, anyone who knows me knows I'm a stickler for following my update schedule, but I'm making an exception this time because...well because I can! I write the story and the schedule, thus I'm fully entitled to change it, too! After all, college can be a drag so I might as well bring a little magic into it _*winks playfully*_**

 **And now let me thank some people whose displays of appreciation work like magic to bring a smile to my face:**

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 **Reviews:** _oOAngelwithaBrokenHaloOo **(oh trust me I snort at their cuteness too),** IamTheDoctorsDaughter **(glad you approve),** Blindluck92 **(and a happy late 25th birthday to you bro!),** Daisy54154 **(and I love that you loved it),** Songorita **(I'm definitely considering making a sequel to go along with the second movie),** AvidMovieFan16 **(and I adore your review),** Guest **(thank you for your praise and I'm so sorry to keep you waiting)**_

 **Disclaimer: I'm twenty (as of January 28th), I'm single, I'm working on a degree in Communication Studies and Theatre, and I'm living in a tiny overpriced dorm paid for by my parents. Do you really think I have enough juice to own this story?**

 _*Friday, February 28, New Orleans, Louisiana*_

 _"Fifteen minutes to curtain! I repeat, fifteen minutes to curtain!"_

Daniel continued pacing casually around the backstage lounge as he thumbed through his deck of cards, seemingly unaffected by the announcement. Merritt and Henley shared a look of confusion and concern.

"Maybe he's gone deaf," Merritt whispered loudly.

"My hearing is just fine," Daniel corrected nonchalantly without even turning to look at Merritt.

Henley placed her little white rabbit on the couch cushion next to her, stood up, peeled off one of her black and red leather gloves, spun Daniel around to face her, and laid her bare hand against his forehead.

"Henley...what are you doing?" Daniel asked, his voice tightening from the unexpected contact from his ex.

"Checking for a fever," the redhead replied as she continued to feel Daniel's forehead and cheeks. "It's the only explanation for you being so uncharacteristically calm right now." Daniel gave Henley a dirty look as he swatted away her hands and took a seat in one of the brown leather chairs. "You're not blind, so obviously you can see that Jack and Ember aren't here yet. You're not deaf, so you heard that we're supposed to be on stage in less than fifteen minutes. How are you not panicking?!"

"Even my head's starting to hurt from trying to read into your state of delusion," Merritt chirped.

Daniel chuckled in twisted amusement. "Why would I panic? I have faith in those kids."

"You do?!" Merritt and Henley exclaimed simultaneously.

"Well...I have faith in the bugs I left in their costumes," Daniel corrected with a smirk as he held up his tracking device.

"You didn't," Merritt challenged with a mischievous grin.

Daniel shrugged. "Couldn't resist. At least that way I only had to bang on one door to find the two of them earlier."

Merritt's grin grew even wider. "They were together?"

The corner of Daniel's mouth quirked up in confirmation.

"Please tell me you left the audio on!" Merritt begged, earning himself a smack in the arm from Henley.

"Sorry to disappoint, Merritt," Daniel apologized, not sounding sorry at all, "but I only bugged them to keep track of where they are, not what they're doing. In fact, I couldn't care less why they're distracted, just that they are distracted."

"Danny, invading our friends' privacy like that is low, even for you," Henley retorted.

"Maybe," Daniel acknowledged with a shrug as he glanced down at his tracker, "but it won't matter because we're not going to talk about it starting in five seconds."

"Why? What's happening in five sec-" Henley began to inquire.

"Sorry we're late!" Ember exclaimed as she and Jack burst through the doors to the parlor.

"-onds," the redhead finished lamely before returning to her seat on the couch.

"We're so sorry, Danny!" Ember apologized breathily. "I was helping Jack find his, um-"

"Deck of cards!" Jack jumped in.

"Deck of cards, eh?" Merritt questioned innocently as he stood up and moved toward a squeamish Jack and Ember. "Did they happen to be in your pants or did you just put them in there so you wouldn't forget?"

The youngest magicians' faces flushed bright red as they simultaneously noticed that Jack did indeed have a, uh, pretty full deck hiding below his belt that was clearly in need of some...shuffling.

"So," Merritt continued as he moved to stand between Jack and Ember and draped his arms over their shoulders, "are you kids gonna tell me what actually happened behind the curtain or am I gonna have to start reading your minds?"

"Depends," Ember replied coyly. "Do you want the back of your pants to light on fire in the middle of the show?"

Merritt released an exaggerated sigh and plopped back down on the couch beside Henley. "Well that's one source of entertainment I'll never have. Henley, do me a favor and visualize your most adventurous sexual experience."

"Stay out of my head, you perv," Henley replied in a snippy voice.

"Well, no, if I stay out of your head, I'm never gonna get into your pants."

Right," Henley brushed off with a roll of her eyes as Jack and Ember sat down on the other couch, relieved that they were in the clear for the time being.

"So let's stick with this exercise. And it helps if-"

"Pardon the intrusion," a velvety voice spoke up. The Horsemen looked up to see the familiar figure of Thaddeus Bradley darkening their doorway. "I just wanted to wish you good luck tonight."

"What, so you can try to expose us later on your little website?" Jack challenged as he kicked his feet up on the table.

"And on demand," Thaddeus added with a smirk.

"That's not gonna happen," Henley scoffed.

"Oh no?" the former magician pressed. "Operating on a special plane because of The Eye?"

The Horsemen exchanged anxious glances and fidgeted in their seats in discomfort.

"I heard it's a lovely place," Thaddeus continued. "Lots of starshine and moonbeams. Make any magician's wish come true. You've come a long way, much further than anyone would have expected of a bunch of wannabes and has-beens."

"Oh!" Merritt cut in as he pulled himself off the couch and picked up his blazer. "If by 'has-been' you're referring to me, I just wanna say I'm flattered, because I always considered myself a never-was. Uh, do you mind if I do a quick read on you?"

Thaddeus shrugged. "By all means."

Merritt quickly rubbed the bridge of his nose before he began to pull on his blazer. "Uh, okay, I'm, uh, picturing a little boy. He wants to be a great magician someday. And though he's good, he's not quite good enough. So he ends up at the bottom of the entertainment food chain, feeding off of those who have the talent that he never did. Tell me, am I getting close?"

Thaddeus remained silent, refusing to admit anything, and turned to leave.

Daniel hesitated for a moment before he stood up from his chair. "Oh, wait. Be-Before you go. I'm just, uh, I'm working on something new. Do you have a second?" Thaddeus blinked, which Daniel took as a yes. "Okay, uh, name a card."

Thaddeus clicked his tongue and glanced at the Horsemen. "King of hearts."

"Knew it!" Merritt jumped in as he pointed at Thaddeus before reigning himself back in.

"Okay." Daniel stared down at his deck and snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. He proceeded to shake the deck and even blow on the top cards, yet still nothing. The illusionist lowered the deck and looked at Thaddeus...bashfully.

Thaddeus tried and failed to swallow his smirk. "It's up your left sleeve."

"Is it?" Daniel asked innocently. He tugged on the sleeve over his left wrist, looked down, and then held it out for his four colleagues to check.

"Mm mm, no," Henley confirmed with pursed lips as the other three shook their heads in agreement.

"No. No, I don't see it up there. You know, why don't you, uh, check your unnecessary velveteen pocket there?" Daniel proposed as he pointed at Thaddeus' blazer pocket. Thaddeus looked down at his breast pocket and then skeptically raised his eyebrows at Daniel. "Yeah."

The aged magician rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket to find a playing card hidden inside his purple silk pocket hankie. However, instead of the king of hearts, all Thaddeus found was a message:

 **SUCK IT**

"Ooh," Henley echoed challengingly while Ember and Jack fist-bumped and Merritt smirked in amusement.

"Anyway," Daniel spoke up, "thank you so much for coming by, but this is kind of a talent only area, so..."

Ember waved her fingers mischievously while she mouthed the words "Bye bye!"

Thaddeus emptied his face and voice of all emotion as he flicked the card away. "Break a leg."

"Hey, you break something, too," Merritt replied, refusing to let that debunker have the last word.

As soon as Thaddeus was out of earshot, Daniel spun around to face the other Horsemen. "Okay, well that was a good five minutes wasted," Daniel spat out. "Now we'll have to go twice as fast in order to get everything done on time."

"Danny, don't you think you're being just a bit-"

"Save it, Henley," Daniel dismissed. "I've given you all your pre-show tasks-"

"Chores!" Ember coughed into her fist.

"And I expect them done in the next five minutes so you better get a move on it," Daniel finished snippily.

 _*{O}*_

"The falcons have taken the bait," Henley hissed into her wireless mic as she peeped out from behind the curtain separating the off-limits wings from the seating area. "I repeat, the falcons have taken the bait."

"Jack, go tell the guys running the spotlights that I want a light on the falcons' nest on my cue."

Ember rolled her eyes. "The 'falcons'? Seriously? Remind me again whose brilliant idea that was?"

"That would be me," Daniel growled into the mic.

"Oh..." Ember trailed off like she was embarrassed. "And remind me again why we agreed to it?"

Laughter echoed over the sound system and Ember could practically hear Daniel grinding his teeth in frustration.

"She's got a point, Danno," Merritt chimed in. "I mean calling the feds 'falcons'? Aren't we giving them more credit than they deserve?"

"I was trying to be subtle in case some idiot working the sound system put our mics on speaker before the show started," Daniel argued. "Speaking of which, I want everybody backstage in thirty seconds! Twenty nine...twenty eight...twenty seven..."

The other four Horsemen immediately dropped what they were doing and bolted back down the hall, down the stairs, etc.

"Three...two...one," Daniel finished, looking up from his watch to find the rest of his team either winded or doubled over and gasping for breath.

"The next time...you do a countdown...like that..." Ember panted (she had been all the way up in the rafters checking on Henley's wires for later)," I'm gonna take that mic...and shove it up your...whew!" The platinum blonde was too exhausted to finish her threat.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Daniel brushed off as he checked the time and grabbed a stagehand. "I need four bottles of water and a makeup artist." The stagehand rushed off.

"Why do we need a makeup artist?" Henley questioned, still looking flawless because she had been just around the corner when Daniel called them to the stage.

"Oh that's for Ember," Daniel chirped.

Ember, who was still breathing raggedly, found the energy to lift her eyes off the floor and look at the arrogant illusionist.

"What can I say? Red's not your best color," Daniel patronized.

Ember's eyes narrowed and, well, let's just say it's a good thing Jack and Merritt were strong enough to hold her back or else she would've succeeded in her attempt to claw Daniel's eyes out.

 _"One minute to curtain! One minute!"_

As one last act of childish pettiness, Ember did a quick stomp at Daniel to psyche him out, which worked because he flinched. The Irish girl smirked victoriously before allowing the makeup lady to quickly add some ivory powder to Ember's red nose and cheeks and then proceeding to find her spot on the pitch black stage.

Suddenly, the lights in the audience dimmed and the outlines of five rectangles protruding from center stage lit up **(AN any spatial descriptions are from stage right or stage left, meaning from the Horsemen's perspective)**.

"ARTHUR TRESSLER PRESENTS, JACK WILDER..."  
The spotlight lit up on the outer left rectangle. Jack was wearing black pants with a matching buttoned-up black vest over a white collared shirt. He also had on, at least for now, an open black blazer with a red pocket hankie.

"HENLEY REEVES..."  
Another light snapped to life on the inner right rectangle. Henley decided to dress like one of the guys tonight in her fitted black pants, tight black blouse, and cinched black blazer with elbow-length sleeves and sequin detailing. In addition to her red pocket hankie - which was hidden by her loose red curls - Henley also had black pumps with red soles, red lipstick, and red and black leather gloves.

"MERRITT MCKINNEY..."  
A third spotlight shone on the outer rectangle to Henley's right. Just like Jack, Merritt had on the black slacks and white dress shirt. However, instead of a vest, Merritt was wearing a black velvet blazer to match his black velvet fedora, which in turn had a red band around it to match his elaborately folded red pocket hankie.

"EMBER JINX..."  
The inner left rectangle next to Jack lit up to reveal the young fire dancer. As usual, Ember was dressed in the least...restrictive outfit. She was wearing black shorts over black fishnet tights with a cropped black collared vest and a fitted black tank top that stopped just above her belly button, revealing her short-bar red bejeweled belly button ring. To match her red-pocket hankie, Ember also had on red fishnet fingerless gloves (the left one stopping at her wrist and the right one stopping a couple inches below her elbow), a red choker, red hair ties around her high side ponytails, and red lip gloss. Other than that, the Irish girl also found the time to add some black nail polish, eyeliner, and mascara. Ember had planned to wear heeled boots, but she broke the heel during one of her rehearsals and had to switch out for some lightweight black combat boots.

"AND DANIEL ATLAS!"  
As expected, the egotistical illusionist got to stand front and center for his spotlight. Daniel had on the uniform black pants, white shirt, black dress shoes, and red pocket hankie, but his buttoned-up blazer was not velvet like Merritt's nor did it have a vest underneath like Jack's.

"THE FIVE HORSEMEN!"

The people in the crowd roared in excitement and anticipation.

"Thank you!" Daniel greeted. "Before we begin, we'd like to single out two people in particular. A man and a woman to whom we'd like to dedicate tonight's performance."

"FBI Agent Dylan Rhodes and the lovely, if somewhat inexperienced, Interpol Agent Alma Dray, everyone," Henley continued.

Another spotlight shone exactly on the spot where Henley had seen Dylan and Alma arrive just minutes earlier, nearly blinding the two of them. The crowd booed furiously at the agents, some even going so far as to flick popcorn (because anything more could be seen as harassing government agents, which could be grounds for arrest).

"Yeah, Agent Rhodes has personally vowed to 'nail us'," Jack informed the audience.

"And we encourage him to do so," Merritt jumped in, "if he has the brains and the fur."

"We're right here, Agent Rhodes," Ember teased with a flourish of her arms. "You got the evidence or the clackers, come at us!"

The audience applauded the Horsemen's courage, which served as a segue for the magicians to move into their real introduction.

"What is magic?" Daniel asked as he backed up to the middle of the stage where the other four magicians were already lining up. "Our argument, nothing but targeted deception. So I want you to look. Look as closely as possible. Because the tricks you are about to see may not seem connected. But we assure you, they are. Is what follows one hundred different tricks? Or is it one giant illusion?"

The lights flickered and flashed behind the five performers, causing the audience to cheer enthusiastically. Suddenly, Daniel snapped his fingers behind his back and Ember took that as her cue. She detached a button from her vest and flung it to the ground, engulfing the Horsemen in a cloud of fog. When the smoke cleared, the only person left on stage was the infamous Merritt McKinney.

"Psh! Smoke bomb?! Really?! You couldn't come up with a more creative exit?!" Merritt jokingly hollered into the wings. "Well, now that the amateurs are outta the way, who's ready for some real entertainment?"

The crowd whooped in excitement.

Merritt let out a satisfied chuckle. "Just as I suspected. Now, we're gonna need twelve courageous volunteers!"

Hundreds of guests raised their hands, but Merritt "randomly" picked twelve who he knew could hold their own against Dylan and a crowd of feds. That is, he picked a mix of men (both fit and heavy) and women (muscular and/or wearing the type of clothes that would make feds even more hesitant about fighting off a woman). The ushers and stagehands brought the volunteers up on to the stage and arranged them into a straight line.

"If you haven't experienced mass hypnosis, you're about to. And sleep. Down, down. Sleep, sleep. Completely sleep. Good, good. Sleep, sleep." Merritt proceeded down the line, pinching each volunteer on the right shoulder and barely waiting for the head to drop before moving on to the next one. Once he was sure he had done his job, Merritt paced back and forth in front of the the line to deliver his instructions, stopping from time to time to tap some shoulders to reestablish the connection. "When you hear the word 'freeze', you are all football players! And your job is to tackle, dismantle, crush, tear limb from limb...the quarterback! You will know who the quarterback is. He will be the one saying that word: 'freeze'. And...wake!"

The volunteers all snapped back to attention, drawing even more applause from the audience.

"Alright, all of you huddle up! On the count of three, we say 'Kill the quarterback'. Ready? Put your hands in the middle. One, two, three..."

"KILL THE QUARTERBACK!" the twelve volunteers exclaimed as they flung their hands in the air.

"Get on back to your seats!" Merritt ordered as the volunteers scurried from the stage in a stampede of clapping and hollering. "I got a feeling I'm gonna be seeing you soon! Now, up next, they haven't performed as a pair in a long time and they never thought they would again, but as they say, there's a first time for everything. Ladies and gentlemen, Daniel Atlas and Henley Reeves!"

The audience applauded as Merritt backed up to the trap door at the back of the stage. All of a sudden, the lights shut off, providing the chance for Merritt to disappear. Seconds later, two more spotlights snapped on the raised box suddenly sitting at the middle of the center rectangle.

"And now for one of the oldest tricks in the book!" Henley called out as she and Daniel walked toward the box from opposite wings.

Thanks to help from Ember, Henley was able to change into a more feminine costume during Merritt's act. The redhead had kept on the heels, the gloves, and the top, but she switched out her fitted black pants for a flattering black leather skirt that stopped just a few inches above her knees. Henley had also exchanged her original blazer for another black blazer, this one with coattails stopping right past her skirt and a leather collar. However, the most noticeable change about the escape artist was the fluffy white bunny in her arms.

"Danny, if you wouldn't mind opening up the box and showing everybody that it's completely empty."

For once, Daniel actually did as his ex requested. The illusionist lowered the front side of the box and waved his hand around it to demonstrate that the box was indeed empty.

"I'm gonna take sweet little Fluffy here and put her inside this mystery box," Henley explained as she lowered the rabbit into the closed box.

"And now, you will say the magic word," Daniel instructed.

"Uh, Abracadabra?" Henley replied playfully.

"Yes," Daniel agreed as he whipped a standard black and white magician's wand out of his jacket, "and I will wave this magic wand for no reason." Daniel casually tossed the wand over his shoulder. "And then," the illusionist opened the top and front of the box to reveal its emptiness, "Fluffy has magically vanished before your very eyes."

The audience gasped and applauded while the ex-lovers pretended to be shocked at the white rabbit's disappearance.

"And now we are gonna debunk a few magic myths this evening," Henley announced once the crowd settled.

Daniel looked up at Thaddeus' seat and smirked as he lowered the mirror hiding the bunny from sight.

"We all know that Fluffy is, in fact, alive and well. And Fluffy has miraculously appeared!" Henley reached in the box to pick up her pet.

"As has the mirror which makes the box only appear as though it's empty," Daniel continued as he twirled the reflective glass between his fingers.

Everyone in the auditorium (except Thaddeus, his assistant, and Dylan and Alma, of course) clapped for the illusionist and the escape artist. Meanwhile, Daniel laid the mirror on top of the box and slipped into the shadows to prepare for he and Henley's finale as the stagehands to carried the box and table offstage.

"Now, we've all heard of pulling the rabbit out of the hat," Henley spoke up as she casually strolled up the stage. "But has anyone heard of pulling a hat out of a rabbit?"

Fluffy squeaked as Henley held the bunny forward and 'transformed' it into a top hat. The audience cheered and Henley waved the hat in front of them with a grand sweeping gesture before curtsying dramatically.

"I'll take that, if you don't mind," Daniel interrupted as he strutted out on stage, snatched the hat from Henley, and placed it on his head.

Henley grimaced. "I think you should leave the hats to Merritt."

"What? You don't like it?" Daniel asked in an offended voice. "Fine, you keep it." The illusionist flung the hat at Henley's feet, which set off a puff of smoke and made Henley 'disappear'.

The crowd gasped.

"Ah yes, the old 'disappearing' act. Just like with Fluffy, we know that Ms. Reeves is alive and well somewhere in this building. And as many of you probably guessed, that hat had a smoke bomb sewn into the lining that activated when it hit the floor, causing Henley to fall through," Daniel crouched down where Henley had been standing and knocked twice on the stage floor, causing a person-sized hole to open up, "this trap door."

Meanwhile, underneath said trap door, Ember was helping Henley with a quick costume change. Daniel was currently blowing giant bubbles to fill the stage, which meant Ember had about two minutes to get Henley out of her leather skirt and leather-trimmed blazer and back into her pants and short sequined blazer, not to mention the invisible harness.

"Done!" Ember panted.

"Awesome! Tell Danny I'm on my way up and to start blowing my bubble!" Henley called out as she ran up the stairs to the main stage.

"You do realize there are so many jokes I could make about that, right?" Ember yelled after the retreating redhead. "You're just lucky Merritt didn't hear that!"

" _Au contraire, my little leprechaun_ ," Merritt responded over the mic. " _I'm compiling a list as we speak and it'll keep us entertained all the way to New York_."

Ember chuckled before pressing the button on her headset that went directly to Daniel's earpiece. "Danny, Henley's coming your way. She'll be there in about fifteen seconds. She said to start," Ember snorted under her breath, "'blowing her bubble.'"

Daniel heard the rapid clicking of heels approaching the curtain and switched to the special bubble mixture for Henley. He expanded the bubble until it was just about Henley's height, which is when the redhead rushed out from behind the curtain and jumped into the bubble. Daniel stepped back so he wouldn't get kicked as Henley began flipping and twirling inside her bubble, guided up to the highest levels of the Savoy by her harness. At the same time, while the audience was too busy watching the lovely escape artist floating above their heads, Daniel snuck off to the seats underneath the main chandelier. As Henley flew around in her bubble, she kept an eye on the marks on the ceiling, waiting for the exact spot to unhook her harness so Danny could catch her. When she found her mark, Henley stretched out, arching her back gracefully to hide the hook holding her up, and then unfastened her wire. The clips zipping back up to the rafters caused Henley's bubble to pop and the redhead to plummet from the air. Henley screamed and the spectators cried out in alarm before the beautiful magician was rescued by none other than J. Daniel Atlas.

"Huh, I guess you have lost some weight," Daniel admitted in a whisper as he shifted Henley's body in his arms.

"And I guess you haven't lost your handsy habits," Henley teased with a grin as she waved to the nearby crowd.

The audience hesitated at first, still recovering from the terror of watching a woman seemingly plunge to her death, but eventually they gave the two exes a standing ovation (even Alma, despite Dylan's disapproving glare).

"Talk about a showstopper!" Jack commented in a loud voice as both the spotlights and the crowd's attention shifted back toward the main stage. "Not to mention a heart-stopper. Thank you, Daniel and Henley, for that remarkable illusion, but perhaps for the sake of our audience we should switch to something a little tamer like," Jack whipped out a deck of cards, "card tricks."

The guests laughed and sat back down in their seats.

"There are two pencils out there!" Jack announced as he shuffled his deck. "Hold 'em up high. Let me see 'em."

"Here!" a woman near the front announced as she waved her pencil in the air.

"Yeah!" another woman yelled, this one farther back and slightly less perky.

"You right there in the front, what's your name?" Jack questioned.

"Nicole Benoit," the woman called out.

"Well then, Ms. Benoit, would you care to pick a card?"

"Um, two of hearts."

"And to the young lady back there, who are you?"

An usher brought a microphone to the woman in the back so she wouldn't have to scream her lungs out to be heard. "Hannah Meyers."

"If you would be so kind, Ms. Meyers, could you please step out into the aisle and hold your pencil out in front of you? Not right in front of your face, though."

Hannah nodded in understanding and followed Jack's directions.

"Ready, ladies?" Jack asked.

"Ready!" both Nicole and Hannah yelled back.

"The rest of you guys, I'm gonna count down from three and I'll need some help. You ready for that?"

"READY!" the audience shouted.

"Okay then, here we go! THREE, TWO, ONE!"

Jack thumbed about half the deck out toward Nicole, who smiled giddily as a signed two of hearts, out of all the cards flipped in her direction, landed right on her pencil. Then, Jack picked a random card, wound up, and flung it right at Hannah's pencil, slicing the top half off in the process.

"See, entertaining and safe," Jack noted with a grin as he flipped the deck from one hand to the other. Suddenly, right as the pickpocket had tossed some cards in the air, they all lit on fire. "Or maybe not," Jack admitted as the cards' charred remains fluttered back into his palm. "Uh oh! I see flames! You know what that means..."

As if on cue (wink wink nudge nudge), Ember appeared on stage in a blinding inferno.

"Never one to settle for subtle," Jack joked. "Ladies and gentlemen, Ember Jinx!"

"Oh don't you go taking your bow already, Mr. Wilder ," Ember teased. "I'm not through with you yet."

Jack smirked and the audience oohed at the undeniable...fire between the two.

"Come on, Jackie, give a girl a little challenge," Ember continued with a wink.

Jack chuckled. "If you insist, Ember."

With remarkable speed, Jack flung card after card across the stage at his, um, yet to be determined. Ember spent the first minute or so spinning and flipping like a gymnast to dodge the cards, but suddenly, she got a mischievous glint in her eyes. Ember snapped to attention and began catching the cards rather than just ducking them. Once she caught about five in each hand, she spread them out like fans and threw them at Jack. The pickpocket flinched dramatically, waiting for impact, but before they could do any damage, the cards burst into flames just inches away from his body.

The crowd jumped to their feet and applauded as Jack and Ember walked to the center of the stage, joined hands, and bowed together.

"You didn't really think we were done, did you?" Ember questioned mysteriously.

Jack pulled on his vest and playing cards shot out of his breast pocket and rained down on the two of them. Ember snapped her fingers and all the cards lit up like wildfire. The spectators had to look away from the brightness of the flames, and when the blaze died down enough for them to look back, Jack and Ember had vanished, leaving nothing behind but the a few ashes and causing the audience to clap even louder than before.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE WILL NOW HAVE A BRIEF INTERMISSION. HOWEVER, BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE AUDITORIUM, PLEASE LOOK UNDERNEATH YOUR SEATS FOR A BLANK PIECE OF PAPER, A PEN, AND AN ENVELOPE. ON THAT PIECE OF PAPER, WE WANT YOU TO FILL OUT YOUR CURRENT BANK BALANCE."

Meanwhile, underneath the stage, Jack and Ember were giggling like schoolchildren at the success of their act.

"Cut it a little close with those cards this time, Emmie," Jack commented with a joking smile.

"Oh please, I had it under control the whole time. After all, I wouldn't want to damage that adorable face," Ember teased as she pinched Jack's cheek playfully, causing Jack's smile to grow even brighter.

" _Yeah yeah, you both get gold stars, now can we get back to work please?"_ Daniel dismissed petulantly over the microphone. " _We've got three envelopes to track down and some bank accounts to hack."_

 **Okay I started this over spring break two months ago but between skiing and puking from a stomach virus, I ran out of time to finish. Also, being a communication studies major and theatre minor sucked my creative writing juju :(. Anyway, I'm officially on summer vacation now but I still cut this chapter a little short (I wanted to go all the way to the New Orleans chase scene) so I could put it out sooner. I love y'all, hope you'll take the time to review, and bid you adieu for the next two weeks tops!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey y'all! Before I continue any further, I have a major announcement:**

 **READ CHAPTER 10 FIRST IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!**

 **Okay so I put out chapter 10 over a month ago, but for some reason, I didn't receive any chapter alert email, which means none of y'all did either (or so I'm guessing since my most loyal followers – including my older brother – didn't leave any reviews). However, for those people who managed to find my update even without an email alert, thank you! More specifically, thank you…**

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 **Now, let's get this story started before my boss catches me using the office computer for non-business purposes xD!**

 **Disclaimer: do you really think I'd be spending 5 days a week for 3 months straight cooped up inside as a human resources assistant if I owned this story?**

 _*Friday, February 28, New Orleans, Louisiana*_

"Frank, the audience will be breaking through those doors in less than a minute! Are those envelopes done or not?!" Daniel berated over the handheld radio.

" _Just finishing up, Mr. Atlas_ ," the backstage manager replied.

"And are the numbers written exactly as they are on my list?!" Daniel pressed.

" _Verbatim, sir_."

"Just what I wanted to hear," Daniel said with a smirk. "Showtime, everybody." On cue, the Savoy's lights flashed to signify to the audience that they needed to return to their seats. The illusionist shut off the walkie-talkie and turned around to face the Horsemen. "Which means it's up to us now. Remember: it's Merritt first, then Henley and I go out-"

"Didn't you already do that?" Ember teased.

"Don't remind me," Daniel scoffed with a roll of his eyes, earning himself a hard smack to the arm from Henley. "OW! At least Rebecca wasn't this touchy!"

"Oh puh-lease! The reason you kept Rebecca around was because she was touchy!"

"Look, Henley, clearly you still have feelings for me, which is perfectly understandable, but now is not the time for a jealous rant-"

"Jealous?!" Henley exclaimed. "Says the man who trolled my website just because I became more famous and respected as a magician!"

"Respected?! The only reason you attracted a crowd was by posting pictures of yourself in those sparkly bikinis!"

"Aha! So you admit to web-stalking me!"

"Excuse me for being curious when I heard my uptight ex was prostituting herself to up ticket sales!"

"How dare you-"

"WOULD YOU TWO EITHER SHUT UP OR MAKE OUT ALREADY?!" Ember interrupted loudly. "Merritt, get out on stage!"

"But I wanna-" the hypnotist started to whine.

"I don't bloody care what you 'wanna'!" Ember dismissed. "You're already a minute late for your cue and even I know that timing is everything tonight. Now go! And don't forget the three names!"

With a pout of surrender, Merritt switched on his microphone and walked out from behind the curtains. "At the intermission, we asked you to write down your current bank balance and seal it in an envelope. Now it's time to take those envelopes out. Everyone take 'em out. Now, everybody, shout out your name. All at once. Go. Shout 'em out."

While the audience began to call out their names and Merritt pretended he was actually paying attention to them, Ember returned to disciplining the group. "So Danny," Ember continued. "Merritt goes out, then you and Henley follow, and then..."

"Oh right!" Daniel cleared his throat and resumed his leadership role. "Tressler will come down on stage, Jack brings out the check, Ember sets the timer on the money transfers, Ember and Jack come out with the spotlight, we drain Tressler of his money, and then we're outta here."

"Carry out an elaborate robbery then run for our lives, piece of cake," Jack joked.

Meanwhile, Merritt was busy accurately 'guessing' the bank balances of three audience members as if he hadn't peeked inside their sealed envelopes. "Josepha, is your bank balance $562 as of today?"

"Yeah. That's what I got," Josepha Hickey admitted somewhat dejectedly.

The audience applauded in awe.

"Unfortunately, you're wrong," Merritt replied dismissively. "Okay, Dina: one...four...seven...seven?"

"Yeah," Dina Robertson agreed with a look of sheer amazement.

"You think it is. But in fact, you, too, are wrong. Uh, Clement, you do not have $6,500 in your account. In fact, everybody stand up," Merritt requested.

"There's our cue," Daniel stated. "Let's go out, Henley."

"Been there, done that, never going back," Henley scoffed as she headed toward the spotlights. Daniel glowered one last time before putting on his stage-face and following her out.

"Break a leg!" Jack called after the former lovebirds.

"Just not each other's!" Ember added.

"Everybody. Yeah," Merritt continued. "Put your envelopes to your forehead. Focus on your number."

The auditorium went silent.

Suddenly, Merritt starting groaning like he had the thoughts of hundreds of spectators flooding his brain. "Ooh! Oh. This is...oh, dear. Just as I feared. Oh, this is strange. You know, I hate to say this, but you're all wrong. Every last one of you is dead wrong about what you think is in your account. Okay, you can sit down now."

"It's Artie time," Daniel whispered in Merritt's ear as he and Henley joined the balding mind-reader.

"Oh! Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. This evening would not be possible if it weren't for our great benefactor Arthur Tressler. Big applause! Big applause!"

The crowd clapped and cheered while Art smiled and waved from his gilded box seat.

"Art, actually, why don't you come up on stage for the finale?" Daniel requested.

"Come on down, Art!" Merritt called out

"Come on down, Art!" Henley repeated.

"There he goes. Okay, good," Daniel commented. "There he goes."

While the stagehands ushered the white-haired multimillionaire down from his VIP seat, Ember and Jack remained busy backstage.

"You got the check?" Ember questioned, her eyes locked on the computer screen and her fingers flying across the keyboard.

"Mhmm," Jack replied. "Pretty hard to lose something this big."

Ember glanced up and smirked. "And here I thought checks that size were only allowed to be carried out by blue-eyed blondes in sparkly cocktail dresses."

Jack tried not to let himself get distracted by the idea of the fiery Irish girl dressed up like Vanna White. "D-Do I hear Ember Jinx volunteering to be a magic show money girl? And here I thought you were a feminist."

Ember rolled her eyes and playfully smacked Jack in the arm before she turned her attention back to hacking. "I'm being serious! Why am I stuck doing the money transfers when Henley's so much better with computers?!"

"Uh, because Daniel just wants an excuse to be around Henley," Jack answered teasingly. Ember scoffed in amusement, but she still didn't seem appeased. Jack propped the check on the floor and crouched down beside Ember's seat, his hazel eyes softening as he tucked a loose platinum blonde strand behind her ear. "I-It's not such a bad thing, though...gives us a little alone time."

Ember's cheeks reddened as she tried her hardest not to coo like a love-struck grammar school girl. Unfortunately, though, Jack's cue echoed from the stage before she could enjoy the moment.

"Now, Art, did you fill out your envelope?" Henley asked as she guided the aging Englishman to center-stage. "Well, no need. We've done it for you."

"A little too little, if you ask me," Ember grumbled.

Jack grinned apologetically, squeezed Ember's hand reassuringly, and pulled himself to his feet. Right on time - just barely - Jack walked out on stage with a giant envelope, the symbol for the Five Horsemen flashing across the front. The pickpocket passed the envelope off to Henley and Daniel before retreating behind the curtain.

"Now, Art, I took a guess," Merritt spoke up. "North of 140, am I right?"

Art chuckled in sheer amusement. Meanwhile, Daniel held one end of the envelope as Henley pulled out a dramatically oversized check.

"That's 140 million, by the way," Merritt clarified for those in the audience who weren't in the know on the life and times of Arthur Tressler.

"Uh, I'm sorry, Merritt," Henley interrupted. "How can he be right about his balance and everyone else be wrong?"

"I think possibly because he, too, is wrong. Uh, everybody, take out your paper. And using the flashlight under your seat, start to warm up that paper. I think your correct balance begins to appear. Now, Art, don't worry, we have a flashlight for you."

"Done!" Ember announced as she hit the final key to begin the money transfers. "Now go!"

Jack grabbed the handheld spotlight while Ember snatched up the remote for the light and the keys for the shackles under the stage. The two of them strolled out on stage, stopping a few feet behind the check. Ember lit up the miniature sparkler hidden in her glove and then "powered up" the spotlight in Jack's hands, making sure she deactivated her sparkler and switched on the light's remote at the exact same time. By doing so, she could press her hand up against the spotlight without damaging the equipment while providing the illusion for the audience.

"Whoa!" Daniel exclaimed, shielding his eyes at the brightness of the spotlight and causing the spectators- as well as Henley - to laugh at his reaction.

Meanwhile, since everybody was disoriented by the blinding light that Jack was waving back and forth through the giant check, Ember took advantage of the distraction to crouch down behind Art and lock the chain around his ankle.

All of a sudden, the numbers on Art's prop check began to change.

"Huh? Whoa!" Henley murmured in awe.

"What's going on there, Daniel?" Merritt inquired innocently

"Uh, wait. This is weird. A second ago, it said $144,579,651. But now...now it says $70,000 less."

"Now, uh, Josepha, can you stand up?" Merritt requested.

"Yes," Josepha replied almost immediately, her fingers quivering as she held her bank balance record in her hands.

"Now, what is your new number?" the balding mind-reader questioned (as if he didn't already know the answer).

"$70,562 now in my account!" Josepha announced ecstatically.

The audience cheered at Josepha's luck.

"Is it possible that Josepha's balance went up the exact amount that Art's went down?" Henley inquired as she glanced at their benefactor with a furrowed brow of curiosity.

"Oh, hey! Check it out," Jack jumped in, continuing to wave the spotlight back and forth at the giant check. "It's happening again."

"Is it?" Daniel asked with perfectly feigned surprise.

"Wow! It is!" Henley gushed convincingly. "Art's balance has gone down another 280K!"

"Dina Robertson?" Merritt called out. "What did yours say?"

"$281,477," Dina read out in shock.

The audience roared in excitement. The Horsemen, however, suddenly took on a very grave demeanor while they lowered the bright light and the giant check.

"We have a confession to make," Henley admitted.

"She's right," Jack joined in. "We lied about something."

"Yes. None of you were chosen at random," Daniel revealed.

"It wasn't just pure luck that you got these seats tonight," Ember added.

"All of you have one thing in common," Merritt chimed in.

"Everyone in this room was a victim of the hard times that hit one of America's most treasured cities," Henley continued.

"Not just one of America's most treasured cities," Ember corrected, "but one of the world's most treasured cities."

"Some of you lost your houses, your cars," Merritt shared.

"Your businesses," Jack proceeded.

"Your loved ones," Daniel finished. "But all of you were insured by the same company..."

The Horsemen simultaneously pointed at the middle of the stage. "Tressler Insurance!"

The spectators let out a collective gasp at the revelation.

"You were abandoned!" Merritt spoke up.

"You were loopholed!" Henley angrily piped up.

"Out of your settlements," Jack called out in a calmer yet grimmer voice.

"Out of everything you held dear!" Ember exclaimed.

The surprised gasps slowly transitioned into uneasy mutterings from the audience members.

The tense benefactor turned to face Henley. "This is all for show, correct?" Art inquired in a succinct tone.

"'All' meaning we're doing it onstage in front of a paying audience?" Henley questioned innocently with a hand over her mic. "Then, yes, it's for show."

"Whoa! Whoa!" a man suddenly yelled out from the crowd. "I've got $82,000 in my bank account! I-It says it right here on my cell phone! Everybody, look at your cell phones right now! Everybody!"

The chiming of cell phones echoed off the walls of the Savoy, only to be replaced by ecstatic screams from the audience as they realized that the Horsemen had, yet again, pulled off another magical monetary miracle.

"Hey, is this for real?" Agent Rhodes asked frantically into his walkie-talkie.

" _I-I don't know_ ," Agent Fuller stammered in reply.

"Is this happening?!" Dylan demanded.

" _I don't know! I can't tell!"_

"Hey! Did you do this?!" Art snapped as he pointed an accusatory finger at Merritt, who furrowed his brow in feigned confusion.

"How could we, Art?" Jack deflected as he strolled toward the back of the stage. "We don't have your password."

"We'd need access to information we could never get our hands on," Henley added, giving their benefactor a little jazz hands and a wink before following after Jack.

"Information you wouldn't leave lying around for just anyone to see," Ember chirped with a flip of her hair as she swiveled around and headed away from the audience.

"Ah, yes, security questions, for instance, like, I don't know, your mother's maiden name or the name of your first pet," Daniel continued.

"Where would we get that information, Art?" Merritt inquired mockingly. "You certainly would never tell us."

Art lunged at the Horsemen, but he found himself chained to the stage with a shackled around his ankle. Meanwhile, Daniel joined the others in the back and fist-bumped Jack.

" _We got confirmation,"_ Fuller crackled over the radio. " _It's really happening! They robbed him_!"

"Do not let them get away!" Dylan ordered as he and Alma scrambled to climb over the crowd.

"Hey, we left you the jet and the Rolls," Merritt pointed out, looking down at the fallen business magnate before casually strolling away to join his fellow Horsemen.

The truth suddenly sank in across the Savoy. Art slowly turned around to face the spectators, who immediately began shouting furiously. The humiliation and resentment weighed on Art's face. Even Jasmine tried to sneak out of her gilded box seat to save herself from embarrassment.

"You got hell to pay!" Josepha hollered across the auditorium.

Meanwhile, Dylan and Alma - along with several federal agents in attendance - ran down the aisles toward the stage, slowed by angered audience members. "Stop! Stop! Nobody move!"

Daniel wiggled his fingers as a goodbye while Ember blew a kiss in the agents' direction.

"Freeze!" Dylan screamed.

All of a sudden, a woman who had participated in Merritt's group hypnosis snapped to attention upon hearing the trigger word. "Quarterback!" the woman bellowed.

"We are The Five Horsemen!" the magicians chanted simultaneously. They wrapped their hands around the invisible wires beside them and were lifted into the air. "Good night!"

Dylan's fingers were just inches short of grazing the Horsemen's shoes before he was tackled to the ground by the twelve volunteers in evening wear. The rest of the feds managed to bust through the doors, but not in time to hold back the hypnotized 'football players'. While the other FBI agents struggled to pull the aggressive audience members off their senior suit, Alma watched the Horsemen zip up to the ceiling through the blinding spotlights. However, the Interpol agent managed to catch a glance of a second story door swinging open.

"Get 'em off me!" Dylan grunted as he tried to worm his way out from underneath the dogpile.

But Alma had other plans. She dashed out the back door of the theater to try to catch the Horsemen before they could escape. Meanwhile, the fleeing magicians scrambled down the stairs of the Savoy's fire escape and ducked into a dark alley.

"Everybody got their escape routes ready?" Daniel hissed. The other four Horsemen nodded. "Good. I want everybody at that rendezvous spot at midnight, on the dot. Any later and we're leaving you behind, got it?" The illusionist pointedly glared at the most punctually-challenged member of the group.

"Alright, I've been tardy on a few occasions, sue me!" Ember defended.

"A few occasions?! You couldn't be on time if your life depended on it!"

"Well, in this case, my life actually does depend on it!" the Irish girl retorted. "And if you're so worried about being late, why are we still standing here?!"

Daniel opened his mouth to ague, but he realized that Ember was actually right. "Meeting point. 12:02. Go."

 _*{o}*_

 **I swear this chapter was going to cover their whole escape to New York, but I figured y'all had waited long enough and decided that shorter and sooner was better than longer and later. Pretty pretty please review and I can't wait to give y'all the full escape scene in the next few weeks!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey y'all! Happy early Fourth of July! Let's jump into this chapter fast before I wriggle out and procrastinate again!**

 **Thanks to my new...**

 **Followers:** _BookKeeper88, xblackMaskx, happy-rea, bree06020_

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 **Disclaimer: unless I see some fireworks lighting up the sky on Tuesday saying "Littlegirlwarrior, you now own the Now You See Me series!", I doubt anything has changed**

 _*Friday, February 28, New Orleans, Louisiana*_

"Everybody got their escape routes ready?" Daniel hissed. The other four Horsemen nodded. "Good. I want everybody at that rendezvous spot at midnight, on the dot. Any later and we're leaving you behind, got it?" The illusionist pointedly glared at the most punctually-challenged member of the group.

"Alright, I've been tardy on a few occasions, sue me!" Ember defended.

"A few occasions?! You couldn't be on time if your life depended on it!"

"Well, in this case, my life actually does depend on it!" the Irish girl retorted. "And if you're so worried about being late, why are we still standing here?!"

Daniel opened his mouth to ague, but he realized that Ember was actually right. He pulled his employee tracking device out of his pocket, deactivated the bugs on Jack and Ember's costumes, and handed it off to Jack.  
"Meeting point. 12:02. Go."

At that time, another set of fast footsteps could be heard from around the corner. The magicians took off right as Interpol agent Alma Dray ran around the back of the Savoy. Clearly this woman had a lot more brains than her partner. The Horsemen quickened their pace as they dashed down their pre-planned route through the labyrinthine New Orleans streets. After a block or so, Jack broke off from the others, grabbed a duffel bag hidden on the underside of a nearby stairwell, and ducked into the darkest corner of the alley to change. Ember slowed down and glanced back in the pickpocket's direction to make sure he didn't accidentally stumble onto a drug addict or Mardi Gras predator.

"Come on, blondie, we got a job to do," Merritt teased. "You and Jack will have plenty of time to strip dance for each other later."

Ember glared at the balding hypnotist and it took all her self-control not to clobber him. After a year, Ember knew Merritt well enough to know that he wasn't purposefully making a jab at her...previous employment. Still, it stung.  
"Oh sod off!" the Irish girl grumbled before running harder to catch up with Daniel and Henley...and to distance herself from the ever-enticing image of Jack's shirtless body.

Meanwhile, Jack managed to slip into a generic police officer's uniform and toss the duffel bag into the nearest dumpster without any drunk tourists noticing. He lowered his hat and turned his back to the sidewalk as Alma sprinted right past him in pursuit of his friends. However, right before Alma did turn the corner, Daniel passed Agent Rhodes' cell phone off to Henley, who split from the group and ran off down a path that would lead right back to the FBI mobile command center parked in front of the Savoy.

Despite the chaotic Mardi Gras scenery and the unexpected French tag-along, the Horsemen's plan was quite simple. Daniel and Merritt were going to follow the most elaborate and roundabout route to the meeting point (just in case someone tried to follow them from the theater). Jack would use Daniel's tracker to lead Dylan, and inevitably Dylan's underlings, right into the busiest street in the city before dropping the tracker right into Dylan's pocket. However, in order to make the suits fall for the trick, they had to believe that they were practically on top of the Horsemen...which was where Ember came in (because apparently being the youngest and the least hindered by her costume meant she was the fastest). Therefore, while Ember led the feds on that wild goose chase, Henley would use the codes in Dylan's phone to access the van, steal a few files, and then take a shortcut to the rendezvous spot. The whole thing was foolproof!

"Stop! Federal agent!" a woman's voice trilled over the sound of the drunk tourists.

"Cac!" Ember cursed under her breath. She hadn't been expecting someone to find her so soon. The distraction dash would only work if whoever had the tracker was following her. Suddenly, a familiar presence brushed up next to the Irish girl. Ember glanced sideways just long enough to see Jack wink at her before he disappeared back into the crowd. Ember looked behind her, saw Dylan hop off a police car to join Alma in chasing her, and took that as her cue to turn left off Bourbon Street.

"She's heading south on Exchange Place!" Dylan yelled into his radio.

Ember stared at the high wall that blocked her path and, without so much as a stall in her steps, channeled every remaining gram of energy to jump the wall.

"STOP!" Alma screamed as she whipped out her gun and aimed it at Ember's chest.

The fire dancer froze in place on top of the wall and held her hands up at her sides, her heart racing from fear and adrenaline. Alma's finger trembled on the trigger, but all of a sudden it was like Ember transformed right in front of Alma's eyes. The low lighting in the alley added a golden hue to Ember's platinum blonde pigtails and made her blue eyes look green.

"Mirabelle?" Alma murmured, her hands wavering around the gun.

Ember's brow furrowed in confusion, but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She hopped off the wall and ducked out of sight...right as Alma's irritable American partner caught up.

"What are you doing?!" Dylan demanded, but he didn't give the French woman a chance to answer before he clawed his way over the wall and kept running toward the dead end Napoleon House, failing to notice the blonde fugitive hiding behind a dumpster.

Ember crouched to the ground and pulled down on the side of her boot to check the watch she had fastened around her ankle. 23:58. Just enough time for her to make it to the meeting point before Daniel could chew her out.

The same couldn't be said for Jack, though. Dropping the device into Dylan's suit was child's play for a pickpocket as skilled as Jack. Unfortunately, Bourbon Street was so crowded that Jack could barely make out the road signs that would lead to the rendezvous destination. On top of that, because he was dressed like an NOPD officer, he had to keep ducking away every time a real policeman ran by in the opposite direction.

"12:02:59," Daniel stated petulantly as Jack basically dove into the trunk of the SUV they had rented with cash and a false name. "Looks like Ember hasn't completely corrupted your punctuality."

"Jarvis Daniel Atlas, are you insinuating that I am a bad influence?" Ember questioned, her face the definition of appalled. "I am offended, scandalized even!"

"Cut the drama queen act, Lady Shakespeare!" Daniel retorted as he hit the gas.

"After all," Ember continued, choosing to ignore the fact that Daniel compared her to an Englishman, "you and Henley worked as partners for a long time before this year and she's never turned into a jacka-"

"Um, a-as interesting as this is, can someone please hand me my clothes?" Jack interrupted from the trunk. "This cop outfit is making me feel all...ugh!"

Ember couldn't hold back one last smirk as she grabbed a hoodie and pair of jeans from her satchel and passed them over the headrest. After a minute or two, the dark-haired man climbed over into the driver's side of the backseat, accidentally kicking Merritt's hat off his head in the process.

"Hey!" Merritt whined. "Is this what it's gonna be like for the next five hours?"

"Five?" Jack repeated. "I-Isn't it nineteen hours to drive from New Orleans to New York?"

"I sure hope not," Ember replied. "Nineteen hours in the middle seat next to Merritt constitutes the unofficial tenth circle of hell."

"Yeah, well, quality time with you ain't much of a pot of gold either, Jinxy Charms," Merritt drawled.

Henley chuckled. "You actually think we're driving all the way back to the city?"

"We aren't?" Jack and Ember asked in simultaneous confusion.

Daniel sighed in exasperation. "Maybe if you bothered to show up backstage more than thirty seconds before pre-show prep, we would actually tell you these things."

"Maybe if you didn't treat us like babies, we would already know these things!" Ember snapped back.

"Well I'll take the time to fill you in now," Henley cut in. "It sure beats Danny's crappy taste in music."

"It's not crappy!" Daniel insisted. "It just takes a keen, educated ear to appreciate it...not that I would expect any of you to have that!"

"Dude, you're playing Justin Bieber," Merritt pointed out. "The only people who can appreciate that junk are you and squealing tweens."

"He is an artist!"

"Whose voice has yet to hit puberty," Ember shot down.

"Am I the only one in this group with an attention span of more than two minutes?!" Henley cried out.

The car fell silent...other than JB's oohing in the background.

"We're driving to Birmingham and then flying to New York in a private jet," Henley explained. "Merritt hypnotized one of Art's assistants to book the plane off the record and then completely forget about it."

"Don't forgot the part where I had the assistant pay extra so the pilots don't ask questions," the balding magician added, never one to let his accomplishments go unspoken.

"Too bad you can't do the same with that Interpol agent," Daniel muttered. "I thought we'd have some time to prepare before our final show, but considering her above-average understanding of magic, I think we'll have to move up the time table."

"By how much?" Ember inquired, chewing on her lip anxiously.

"Twenty four hours," Daniel stated before directing his gaze to the rear view mirror. "I hope you're ready, Jack."

The pickpocket sucked in a sharp breath. Ember laid her hand over his and squeezed. All five Horsemen knew how dangerous Jack's upcoming job was, but losing a day of planning and practice made it infinitely more so.

Henley turned around in her seat and patted Ember on the knee. "Try to get some rest, you two. We'll need you both at the top of your game if we want to succeed tomorrow."

 _"Don't you mean 'survive'?"_ Ember thought tensely, but this was one time she kept her snarky comments to herself. Instead, the blonde simply nodded and twisted her body so she could rest her head on Jack's shoulder, an action he immediately welcomed by draping his arm over Ember's shoulders.

Merritt lowered his hat over his eyes and leaned up against the opposite door, mumbling something under his breath that sounded like "cuddling" and "'just friends', huh?"

Despite the sense of dread settling in Ember's stomach, Henley's words of wisdom and Jack's comforting embrace - not to mention how exhausting the past few days had been - acted like an anesthetic and the Irish girl found herself dozing off within seconds of closing her eyes. However, that did not mean Ember's sleep was restful.

 _*Saturday, March 1, Birmingham, Alabama*_

 _All she could see were flames, hungry and ruthless, ready to consume any and all forms of life that dared come near. Suddenly, a cloaked figure walked out from the fire, completely unscathed, with a glowing Eye of Horus emblazoned on his chest. Ember tried to see whose face was behind the hood, but the stranger vanished immediately, leaving Ember drowning in a swirling vortex of balloons, money, and exploding playing cards._

 _"Ember!" a voice echoed in the distance. "Ember!"_

"EMBER!" Daniel snapped, jarring the fire dancer awake. "Great, we just lost another two minutes of valuable time. Everybody gear up and get on the plane, NOW!"

Daniel, Jack, and Merritt climbed out of the car and quickly unloaded their luggage and equipment. Henley got out, too, but she turned back around and leaned in the open door of the backseat when she saw Ember wasn't moving.

"Hey, you okay?" Henley murmured.

"Y-Yeah," Ember replied as she tried to slow her breathing. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Henley studied her with those brown eyes. "Don't lie to me, Em."

"I'm not!" the blonde insisted before climbing toward the door on the other side, but Henley grabbed hold of her wrist before she could make it.

"Oh my- Em, you're shaking! What happened while you were asleep?"

"Nothing!" Ember insisted as she yanked her hand out of Henley's grip. "I said I'm fine!"

However, the redhead refused to back down. "It was about Jack, wasn't it?"

Ember struggled to gather her thoughts. "Maybe, I-I don't know!"

"It's okay for you to feel scared, Ember. Hell, you'd have to be insane to not feel scared in a situation like this!" Henley joked, but Ember made no effort to smile or even chuckle, so Henley switched tactics. The escape artist crawled into the backseat and took Ember's hands in her own. "Em, you and Jack have a very special bond, one that Danny and I never had. You two truly love and care for one another, which is why it hurts you so much to know that he's about to put his life at risk for something so...invisible."

"I'm not just scared, Henley," Ember whispered. "I'm terrified! What happens if something goes wrong?! What if the explosive malfunctions or what if Jack can't handle the chase or what if-"

"Or what if the whole world just blows up tomorrow and kills us all?" Henley teased.

"Exactly!"

"I was joking!"

"Oh..."

Henley sighed. "Look, you can either sit here and think of every possible mistake that could happen today...or you can get your head in the game and make sure those mistakes don't happen."

"HENLEY!" Daniel squawked from the steps up to the jet.

"SHUT UP! WE'LL BE RIGHT THERE! ONE MORE MINUTE'S NOT GONNA KILL US!" Henley hollered back. Even without looking, Ember could almost see the smoke spewing from Daniel's ears, which brought a small grin to her face right as Henley turned back around. "Personally, as much as I love getting on Danny's nerves, I'd go for the second option."

Ember pressed her lips into a thin line, but she realized that the redhead was right (as usual). Ember took a deep breath, grabbed her bag from her feet, and looked Henley right in the eyes. "Let's finish this!"

"Woohoo!" the escape artist cheered as she pulled Ember out of the car for a hug. "That's my girl!"

"Henley...thank you," Ember murmured over Henley's shoulder.

"For what?"

"For being the sister I always wanted."

At that, Henley wrapped her arms even tighter around the Irish girl. "I could say the same for you."

"HEY! CUT THE SENTIMENTAL CRAP! THIS PLANE IS TAKING OFF WITH OR WITHOUT YOU!" Daniel shouted.

The two girls glared in the direction of the plane.

"WE'RE COMING!" Henley called out.

"DON'T GET YOUR KNICKERS IN A TWIST!" Ember added for good measure.

Daniel rolled his eyes and walked inside the plane, leaving the girls to share a giggle before pulling apart from their hug.

Henley locked her brown eyes on Ember's navy ones. "You ready?"

Ember once again donned that mischievous smirk. "Let's go show the Eye what we're made of."

 _*{0}*_

 **Huh...that didn't actually take as much strategizing as I thought it would. But I will say this: for a scene that only takes about two minutes in the movie, explaining of the logistics behind it is NOT EASY! Strangely enough, though, tweaking it to include Ember made it less difficult than it would have been otherwise. Also, that Henley/Ember bonding at the end was originally going to be a Jember moment, but I thought I'd throw another kind of fluff your way just to change it up a little.**

 **So, who is Mirabelle? What's Ember's role in the New York finale? Will Henley and Daniel drop the feud and finally hook up again? All these vital questions will be answered (as long as I get some reviews) on the next installment of Through the Sun's Flames!**


	13. Chapter 13

**And she's back! Told y'all my updating habits would get better this summer! Now that all the employees have arrived for the summer and are (at least mostly) settled in with their positions, housing, etc., HR is practically a ghost town. Now I get paid to read [actually I just got busted for that yesterday :(] or write chapters on my office computer and email them to myself or whatever I really wanna do for forty hours a week. Enough about how I lucked out with my job, though. Let's talk about how I lucked out with my...**

 **Followers:** _SeleneMoon21, janusscientes, Ms. Fairchild02, Cupcakes4life, YumeTune, Desert RockandRoller, 3Blank_

 **Favorites:** _SeleneMoon21, janusscientes, TheIndividualist, Ms. Fairchild02, YumeTune, Desert RockandRoller, SlytherinLife, 3Blank_

 **Reviewers:** _SeleneMoon21 **(and I confess that this review made me smile),** AvidMovieFan16 **[I actually just came up with my plan to coordinate the appearances of Ember, Lula, and Henley (YES, EVERYBODY, YOU HEARD ME RIGHT! I DO PLAN ON DOING A SEQUEL!)],** TheIndividualist **(I'm glad you're enjoying it),** Blindluck92 **(well you asked me about girl-talk, so I guess that inspired me to add a girl-talk),** sparrowflyaway **(you have no idea how much your review warms my heart),** Guest **(wait no more cuz here it is),** K **(I'm honored you would think so highly of my story :D),** Guest **(I love that you would take the time to say that)**_

 **Disclaimer: unless the rights to this story are wrapped up in one of the countless packages employees have sent to my office, I don't own it**

 _*Saturday, March 1, New York City, New York*_

"Okay everybody, just remember to think of dead puppies," Daniel instructed. "And action!"

"And cut!" Henley interrupted before turning to glare at her ex. "Dead puppies? Seriously?!"

"What?!" Daniel defended. "Nothing makes you sadder than dead puppies. See, even Merritt's tearing up!"

"Actually," the psychic replied between sniffles, "the only thing making me cry is your sick and twisted mind."

"Mine?!"

"Did I stutter?"

"No, but clearly you hit your head on something because your 'readings' are all kinds of messed up right now!"

Henley inserted herself between the two men and tried to settle their argument before it came to physical blows. Oddly enough, though, throughout this whole verbal sparring session, Ember stayed uncharacteristically quiet. She didn't need dead puppies or Daniel Atlas' delusional attitude to force her into a believable state of sadness. The very thought that the person she cared about the most could die at her hands in just a few hours was already bringing Ember to tears.

"Um, guys?" Jack spoke up awkwardly from behind the camera. "I-I hate to steal Danny's line, but, uh, aren't we racing the clock for this?"

"Okay, okay," Daniel dismissed, basically ending the argument…for now. "Remember, guys, Jack has just died in a brutal and excruciatingly painful car crash!"

"Danny-" Jack tried to interject, his eyes flickering sympathetically toward Ember.

"I'm talking flames and blood and-"

"We get the picture-" Henley hissed. She didn't know the story of how Ember's parents died, but the redhead could tell something was wrong by the way the Irish girl's shoulders hunched over, her clasped hands trembled, and her face blanched about three shades paler.

"Jack's body just roasted to a crisp, reduced to nothing but a pile of burnt flesh and ashes-"

"ENOUGH ALREADY!" Ember finally burst out.  
The other four Horsemen gaped at Ember, their jaws hanging open and their eyes practically bugging out. They knew Ember had inherited that infamous Irish temper, but it normally presented itself through a withering gaze, a biting retort, something that was so dipped in acid that it didn't require volume. However, never before had Ember's anger reached the point of explosive.  
"Can we just get this done?"

Daniel nodded, too shell-shocked to form a sentence let alone a comeback.

"And we're filming in three, two, one…"

"By now, I'm sure you've all seen the news," Daniel spoke up. "But for those of you who haven't, I'll keep this short. Jack Wilder, our fifth Horseman, died in a high-speed car chase while trying to escape the government agents determined to stop us from finishing our mission.

"The point of why we're here is to say that we are not…we cannot quit now. We've started something bigger than all of us. We have to finish it," Merritt continued gravely, not losing eye contact with the camera for even a second.

"The FBI took one of our own tonight," Ember added, her voice wavering and her eyes glistening from her unshed tears. "They thought they could scare us into submission, but they were wrong. If anything, they just made us stronger. We will not let ourselves be crippled by grief. We will fight because Jack was...Jack was..."  
Even though he was standing right in front of her, Ember couldn't bring herself to talk in the past tense about the man who pickpocketed her heart.

Henley wrapped an arm around Ember, who immediately buried her face in the redhead's shoulder so she could muffle her sobs. Henley ran her fingers through the Irish girl's platinum blonde curls in a soothing and almost maternal way before looking back toward the camera.  
"Remember the name Jack Wilder when you see us live, 5 Pointz Queens, 7:00."

Daniel went on for another minute or so, trying to come off all humble by talking about how Jack was the heart of the Horsemen, how it would be difficult but not impossible to continue on their great mission. However, even though this was Jack's once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear J. Daniel Atlas sing praises for someone besides himself, Jack couldn't take his eyes off Ember.

The Irish girl had her platinum blonde hair brushed over in loose curls, not a single hair-tie or bobby pin in place. Her silvery eyeliner complemented her blue eyes and her black lip-gloss provided a strikingly beautiful contrast against her ivory skin. While the other Horsemen had gone with more formal black and gray sweaters and pants, Ember had gone with something more casual yet slightly more colorful. She was wearing a fitted blue short-sleeve shirt, the same dark navy shade as her sad eyes, with cutouts at the shoulders; black galaxy leggings; and knee-high lace-up black leather heeled boots. The grief in her body language tore Jack up inside, knowing that she might actually have to go through that if he didn't survive.

About three and a half minutes after Jack started recording, Ember finally broke her silence. Daniel was supposed to have the final word, but Ember simply couldn't take the scripted drivel anymore. With as much strength as she could muster, the fire-dancer lifted her head from Henley's shoulder and aligned her puffy eyes with the lens.  
"Am I sad that we lost Jack today? I'm devastated. He was a revolutionary magician, a loyal friend."  
Ember hesitated, as if there was something else she wanted to add yet she couldn't find the words.  
"But more than that, I'm angry. Angry that I'll never be able to see his smile or hear him laugh or just be with him ever again. Jack and I had so many plans...and the FBI robbed us of them. Yet they call us the thieves," the blonde scoffed with a bemused smirk as she glanced off to the side, flicking the tears off her cheeks before facing the camera again. "The FBI calls us criminals, but our magic never once hurt an innocent soul. However, blood has now been spilled...Jack Wilder's blood. And that only fuels our fire for justice, so in honor of Jack's memory, get ready to be burned tonight."

The other Horsemen were speechless. Not even Daniel could come up with some extravagant prose to top Ember's heartfelt message.

Jack held up the thumbs up sign as he stopped the recording. "Good job, guys. And, uh, Danny, I had no idea you valued me so much."

The illusionist scoffed. "Please. I'm just trying to turn the public against the feds. Everyone wants to side with the fallen hero, the innocent victim of government greed. Now are you sure you got all four minutes?" Daniel patronized as he ushered both Jack and the camera over to Henley's computer setup, pointing out every little 'mistake' in the clip as they downloaded it onto a flashdrive, which they would post on YouTube after Jack's 'crash'.

Ember sniffled and did her best to wipe away her tears discreetly, but her cheeks flushed in embarrassment over the fact that she had let herself get so emotional in front of her fellow magicians. All she wanted to do was lock herself in her room. However, something blocked the blonde's escape route…or rather someone.

"Em-" Henley started as she laid a hand over Ember's shoulder.

"If you're about to ask if I'm okay, the answer's no," Ember brushed off. "But I will be…as soon as today is over."

Rather than push her, Henley let go of the Irish girl. "You know I'm here for you if you want to talk, no matter where or when."

Ember nodded grimly and then took off to her room, trying not to count down the minutes she had left in it.

 _*{0}*_

The fire-dancer sat on the end of her bed, her heel bouncing up and down and her fingers tapping the sides of her remote control. She hadn't gotten any rest since the drive to Birmingham...if you could even call that nightmare rest. She could've taken a sleeping pill, but that would risk making her sluggish. Unfortunately, Ember needed to be a the top of her game today. One slip-up, one delayed reaction, and a whole year of planning and work would be over...not to mention Jack's life.

"You keep fiddling with that thing, it's gonna blow up on you," Merritt piped up.

"Eep!" Ember squeaked as the remote fumbled out of her hands. The blonde dove to the ground, catching the device just in time to keep the red button from pressing down. Ember smiled in relief, her chest rising and falling from her heavy panting.

"Told you so," Merritt chirped.

Ember's relief quickly turned to anger as she whipped her head around to glare at the smug intruder. "Not funny, Merritt."

"Not my fault you chose today, of all days, to act all Twitchy McJumpy," the mentalist replied, his hands held up defensively. However, the mischievous glint seemed to be missing from his teasing smirk.

"You feel it, too, don't you?" the Irish girl asked softly.

"Well it's hard not to when I've got the four of you filling my head with your stress," Merritt drawled in a patronizing manner, but it didn't take a mind-reader to see how the weight of this past year was taking its toll on the balding magician as well.  
"So is that for the car bomb, the safe bomb, or the other car bomb?" Merritt questioned, eager to change the subject.

"Car bomb," Ember answered with a sigh. "The first one, that is. It is the most important one, after all."

Merritt pressed his lips into a thin line, glanced over his shoulder to make sure the other three Horsemen were distracted, and then moved to sit down beside the anxious girl on the bed. "I'm only gonna say this once, so pay attention. Ember, you may be the baby, but you're the most dedicated magician I ever have and probably ever will meet. I remembered that from the first time I ever saw you perform."

"You remembered that I was dancing through flames while practically naked," Ember muttered.

Merritt sighed in exasperation. "Why does everyone assume my mind is always in the gutter?"  
Ember raised an eyebrow.  
"If anything, your minds are in the gutter for thinking that everything I'm thinking has to do with sex!"

"Your point?"

"Look Ember, for the rest of us, magic is something we do. Don't get me wrong, we love magic and we love doing it. But for you," Merritt reached out and rubbed Ember's knee, "magic isn't just something you do...it's something you live. You put so much care into your tricks, trying so hard to make sure that the best outcome is the only outcome, that you bring wonder into the lives of everybody watching, including mine."

For once in her life, Ember had no comeback for Merritt. Instead, she simply wrapped her arms around the hypnotist. To her surprise, Merritt actually returned the hug.

 _Knock, knock._

"Hey, Emmie, Danny told me to-" Jack froze when he walked in and saw Ember and Merritt hugging. "Oh, um, a-am I interrupting something?"

"And that is how you do a one-on-one hypnosis," Merritt spoke up as he quickly stood up from the bed, trying to cover up his moment of sentimental weakness.

"Merritt, were you just-"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"But I just saw-"

"You saw nothing."

"No, I-"

"You...saw...nothing," Merritt repeated, his eyes locked on Jack's, his voice so insistent that it was hard not to believe him.

"Oh...kay?" Jack replied uncertainly.

Merritt cast one last look at Ember and then walked out to the main room.

"Uh, should I ask what that was about?" Jack inquired, nodding his head in the direction of the door.

Ember smirked softly. "Looks like Merritt has a heart under all that ego, after all. Anyway, um, what was it you needed?"

"Oh right, uh, Danny wanted you to brief me on the blowtorch for the safe."

"I almost forgot about that."  
Ember tied her hair up in a messy bun, reached for the hard case on the back of her bed, opened it up, and proceeded to explain how to break into the Elkhorn safe. After a few minutes, though, Ember noticed that Jack's hazel eyes weren't fixated on the tools...they were fixated on her.  
"What? Is my makeup that smeared?" Ember stood up from the bed and rushed over to the mirror to check her reflection. "I swear, if I looked like a raccoon in that video-"

"No, no, it's not that," Jack insisted before glancing bashfully at his feet. "It's just...did you really mean everything you said on that clip?"

Ember's shoulders relaxed before she rejoined Jack on the bed and laid a hand on his cheek. "Every word. I can't imagine my life without you."

The sleight-of-hand pushed the blowtorch case aside so he could scoot in closer to the fire-dancer, close enough to smell the spices of her perfume, close enough that he wouldn't have to move much if he wanted to kiss her.  
"And you'll never have to, I promise. Besides, Danny's had us memorizing street maps and practicing on arcade driving games for months."

All of a sudden, Ember pulled her duffel bag out from under her bed and began digging through it. "Gimme your hand."

"Huh?"

"Your hand, hold it out."

"Um, okay?" Jack rolled up his sleeve and offered his left hand to Ember.

Ember pulled a permanent marker out from her bag, flipped Jack's hand so his palm was facing up, and began drawing on his wrist. With a practiced hand, the blonde girl traced the marker around and around, murmuring a well-known Gaelic blessing under her breath.  
"May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand."  
Once she finished, she lowered her head and softly blew on the ink, sending shivers down Jack's spine.  
"Filleadh abhaile dom, mo ghile," Ember whispered before brushing her lips against Jack's wrist.

Jack was stunned speechless by how melodically the words seemed to roll off Ember's tongue. "Wh-What was that for?"

"It's the Celtic knot for luck, along with a traditional Irish blessing."

"And the last part?"

Ember's cheeks flushed slightly. "'Return home to me, my darling.'"

Jack's blinked quickly to keep himself from tearing up as he reached out and brushed a stray blonde curl off of Ember's face. "As long as you're waiting for me, I promise I'll come back."

"You promise?"

"How do you say 'with all my heart' in Gaelic?"

Ember couldn't help herself from smiling. "Le mo chroí go léir."

"Well then I promise, le mo chroí go léir, that I will-"

"GAAAAH!" Daniel hollered from the main room, accompanied by the sound of a phone (Agent Rhodes' phone) crashing against the floor.

"I think that's our cue," Ember muttered stubbornly before she grabbed her duffel and followed Jack out of the bedroom.

"The firewall's down! Do they know about this?!" Henley questioned anxiously as she rapidly pressed keys on the Horsemen's high-tech computer setup.

"They who?" Daniel asked petulantly.

"'They', 'them', whoever we're working for!" Henley tried to elaborate.

"Who are we working for?" Merritt inquired as he carried a stack of blueprints toward the fireplace, gesturing for Jack and Ember to start doing the same. "And are we prepared to go to jail for them?"

"Okay, stop being paranoid," Daniel dismissed.

"It really does happen!" Merritt insisted, glancing out the window for any flashing lights gunning toward the apartment building.

"Yeah, it happened to you, doesn't mean it's gonna happen to us."

Underneath another pile of papers, Jack found his original tarot card invitation from the eye. Seeing that skull with Death emblazoned across it...all of a sudden Jack's chances of survival began to sink in.  
"Guys, I-I don't know if I can do this, alright?" the hazel-eyed boy rambled as Daniel shoved a handful of files at the pickpocket. "I don't wanna go to jail, you know?"

"Then don't screw up," Daniel suggested snippily. "Alright, you're always talking about wanting to be treated like an adult. Now might be a good time to start acting like one. Stick to the plan. Stay here and burn it all." With a 'brotherly' smack to the arm, Daniel ended that conversation.

However, Ember had had just about enough of Daniel's superiority complex. She strolled across the room to gather more plans, making sure to purposefully bump into the illusionist's shoulder on the way.  
"Oopsie, my bad," the blue-eyed blonde trilled, her voice dripping with so much sugary sweetness that it was borderline cavity-inducing.

"Real mature," Daniel drawled. "But then again, I wouldn't expect anything less from a little girl like you."

"Green's not your best color, Danny Boy," Ember mocked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Clearly your 'holier-than-thou' attitude is because you're jealous of Jack and me."

"Clearly you're delusional because you spent too much time inhaling smoke fumes."

"Deny it all you want, but we all know that deep down, it's eating you up to know that you've had ten extra years of practice, and yet the Eye recruited a couple of kids as your magical equals."

"Guys!" Henley exclaimed. "Not the time!"

Daniel and Ember begrudgingly went back to work.

Merritt scoffed with one last look out the window. "I don't know what I'm doing here."

"Well I don't know what you would do anywhere else," Daniel brushed off.

"I'm here for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. That's it, then I'm gone," Merritt stated as he slammed another load of schematics down on one of their trunks of equipment.

"You can do whatever you want when this is over, Merritt," Henley retorted, her lip curled up in disdain, "but until then, you stick to the plan."

"Oi!" Ember piped up as she peeked out between the blinds. "They're here."

All five Horsemen locked eyes, knowing that this was officially the beginning of the end. Daniel, Merritt, Henley, and Ember snatched up their backpacks and duffel bags.

"Okay, let's do it," Merritt spoke up, leading Daniel and Henley out of apartment 6A.

However, Ember looked back and noticed that Jack's confidence was fading fast. She dropped her luggage and took Jack by the shoulders.  
"Drive fast and stay safe, because if you don't make it out of this alive, I'll kill you myself," the Irish girl teased, trying to sound upbeat for Jack's sake...and for hers.

Jack licked his lips nervously. "Emmie, I-"

"This is not goodbye," Ember interrupted. "You promised me you would make it out alive."

"I-I know, but i-in case I don't-"

"Shh," Ember breathed out faintly as he placed a finger over Jack's soft lips. "Save it for after the show." She leaned in and gently kissed his cheek.

"Ember!" Daniel's voice echoed from the door to the stairwell.

The platinum blonde picked up her duffel bag and walked out of the Horsemen's apartment for the last time, stopping just long enough to lock eyes with Jack one final time.  
"Filleadh abhaile dom, mo ghile."  
And with that, Ember raced out the door after the other magicians, leaving Jack to deal with the approaching feds on his own.

 _*{0}*_

 **Alright so I had written a bunch of stuff for the car chase, but then I realized the car chase felt incomplete without the Jack vs Dylan fight scene. Therefore, the next chapter will include the fight scene, the car chase, and the Elkhorn break-in, which means...**  
 **DRUMROLL PLEASE!**  
 **Through the Sun's Flames has only two more chapters! Seeing as this story (which is far more successful than I ever imagined) is coming to a close, I thought I should start asking about your ideas for the name of its SEQUEL! BOOYAH!**  
 **Sorry about that, I'm just so psyched that I'll be able to watch Now You See Me 2 over and over again! Please remember to leave reviews with title ideas or comments or even good ol' fluff. I love y'all and, since I have exactly one month before my summer vacation is over, I promise to update at least one more time before school starts up again! Bye!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey y'all! Sorry for another huge delay, but other than school (which is even more intense this year), I have a really good excuse! So this chapter contains the most logistically intense scene in the entire frikkin' movie! And the reason it took me so long to put out this chapter was that I'm terrible at describing fight scenes. Therefore I had to delegate a huge portion of this chapter to my brother Blindluck92...who then delegated it to the awesome JMB Fictional Writing! Thanks so much guys for the help! And now, on to recognizing my loyal readers, especially my new...**

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 **Reviews: _TheIndividualist (and your review was awesome!), Guest (love those sequel name ideas!), AvidMovieFan16 (this isn't exactly soon but I did update), Blindluck92 (you're literally sitting right in front of me as I'm writing this, so I'll just tell you how much I loved your review in person), K (I hope I do your favorite scene and the sequel justice), Guest (I'm sorry it wasn't sooner, especially considering how much I squealed when I read your review :D), Forever Courage [while I definitely won't be sticking to the script too much on the sequel, the overarching plot will be the same...but you can count on an appearance from our favorite redhead ;)]_**

 **Disclaimer: I'm giving thanks for a lot of things this holiday season...but ownership of this story ain't one of 'em**

 _*Saturday, March 1, New York City, New York*_

The Irish girl caught up with her three companions right as they got to the garbage chute.

"Ladies first," Merritt offered oh-so-politely.

With props, costumes, tools, and basically anything they could possibly need in hand (or, technically, in duffel bags), four of the Horsemen snuck down the service stairs of their rundown apartment building and climbed into a cab, pretending not to notice Thaddeus Bradley and his camera crew all crammed into an SUV down the street. After travelling a safe distance from the building, which was now swarming with FBI and SWAT, the magicians went their separate ways. Merritt hypnotized a bus driver who would be passing over the 59th Street Bridge to surrender his uniform and vehicle, to which he attached Jack's decoy car with the leather-clad cadaver in the driver's seat. Meanwhile, Daniel had donned a baggy suit and fake moustache and then bribed a cabbie to take an extended lunch break.

As for Henley and Ember, they snagged a black SUV and donned disguises to hide their more distinctive hair colors. Henley went with the goth look in a chin-length black wig, black cargo pants, and black bomber jacket. Ember, on the other hand, chose a more glam-rock vibe with a hot pink pixie-cut, purple metallic tank top over ripped jeans, her leather jacket, and silver sneaker wedges.

"I still don't know why you waited until now to break out that outfit!" Henley spoke up as she drove the SUV out of the garage.

"What do you mean?" Ember questioned, her attention focused on her reflection in her compact mirror, more specifically the fake silver hoop she was sliding onto her nose.

"Don't you go playing the dumb blonde card with me, Em," the escape artist teased. "We both know perfectly well what Jack would do if he saw you dressed like that."

Ember closed the compact with a snap. "I don't know what you're talking about," the Irish girl replied airily before she leaned toward the backseat to put her mirror back in her duffel bag.

"Thin walls, honey. Sound travels in those dressing rooms."

The fire-dancer's face flushed a deep red, but she kept digging around in her bag, trying to find a deeper spot for her compact.

"You trying to bury that mirror like you're burying your feelings?" Henley continued, the car slowing to a stop at a red light.

"Red, as much as I've appreciated our talks the past few days, now is not the time for emotional coddling," Ember pointed out as she grabbed the remote for the casualty car.

Henley huffed in frustration, but she knew Ember was right. "To be continued. But for now, buckle up."

Ember fastened her seatbelt right as the light turned green and Henley hit the gas.

 _*{0}*_

Jack threw the batches of paper into the fire, burning as much evidence as he could with what little time he had left. The other Horseman had already fled, leaving him to clean up and make sure no one save themselves knew of their plans for the final trick. Unfortunately, time was not on his side, Jack heard the familiar creak of the door as it was pushed open. He had heard that same creak a thousand times over the last year, an audible warning that someone had entered the apartment...someone he knew was not one of his friends returning.

Agents Rhodes and Fuller slowly crept through the main foyer, the latter hanging back to cover his partner. Both stepped near open doorways, disappearing through both at once and quickly scanning the rooms. Fuller found himself in a small den, littered with sketches and documents. The only thing of note was a Lego replica of an unknown structure.

Dylan entered into a small room with a burning fireplace, a few chairs, and a single table. Documents were scattered across the floor, mostly piled in front of the crackling hearth. Dylan regarded the fireplace, finding the flames within dancing above a large pile of ash and cinder as it devoured the paper. His eyes remained on the burning scraps for a moment longer before he turned, weapon raised and level as he advanced to the next room. Dylan's movements were quiet and well-practiced as he looked and listened, searching slowly and methodically for any of the Horsemen.  
The FBI agent stepped into a family room, which was littered mostly with diagrams and handmade replicas of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the Savoy in New Orleans, both stages where the Horsemen had performed. These scale models were perfectly made, and based on the layer of dust and wear, these abracadabra criminals had been planning this for a long time. Dylan regarded them, his attention divided amongst the small trinkets and pieces that littered the family room.

However, behind Dylan, back in the room with the fireplace, Jack crept down from his hiding spot. Crawling out from the top of the book shelf just behind the door, he slowly lowered himself back down to the floor. Jack looked to the doorway right as Fuller passed by and moved into the kitchen on the opposite end of the hall. Jack looked back to Dylan for a moment, quickly planning his escape, but he needed to at least incapacitate one of them to even the odds.  
Quietly stalking out the door, Jack followed after Fuller, sneaking by him and looking to the sink and the tabletop. Lightbulb moment! Jack reached for the wet dish rag laying in a pot, grabbed it, and crept up right behind the FBI Agent. Fuller turned to look over his shoulder, Jack leaned to the side and out of his view, and when Fuller turned the other way, the Horseman pounced.  
Jack reached around and stuck the rag in Fuller's mouth, gagging the man as he ripped the jacket off Fuller's shoulders and trapped his arms in the sleeves. The pickpocket yanked the surprised fed towards the sink and dunked the vest of the jacket in the garbage disposal. The blades caught onto the vest and constricted around Fuller's hands, pulling him against the counter and into the sink. Seeing that Fuller was trapped and unable to do anything but thrash in an attempt to free his arms, Jack moved in, dropping low and grabbing the agent's belt right off his waist.

Dylan heard the commotion; raised his weapon; and with quick strides, moved towards the kitchen. He turned the corner and looked inside, quickly seeing Jack Wilder advancing on him.  
"Freeze!" Dylan ordered, turning slightly to get Jack in his crosshairs.

But Jack attacked, using the belt he procured from Fuller to tangle Dylan's wrists and force the gun from his hands. The pickpocket jerked the weapon away and discarded it towards the still-gagged Fuller, catching him squarely in the crotch...much to Jack's hidden amusement and satisfaction. However, the magician held back from laughing or making a quip because he still had to fight off Dylan. Jack turned and sucker punched the senior agent in the face, causing him to stagger for a second, and then used the belt as a whip before flicking it towards Fuller and hitting him with the buckle. Unfortunately, that little trick gave Dylan the chance to rush forward, grab Jack, push him back, and attempt to pin him. Jack escaped, twisting enough to not get caught between the fridge and a very aggravated fed. Jack broke out of Dylan's hold, ran back into the room with the fireplace, slid under the table, and moved for the window.

"DYLAN!" Fuller screamed in a panic.

"Hold on!" Dylan called out to his partner before steadying himself and giving chase.  
Jack reached for the sill, but when he heard the harried steps of Dylan coming right behind him, he turned. Dylan tried to pin him with the table, but Jack saw this move easily enough. Dylan grabbed at Jack as he rolled across the table, wrapping his arms around the young Horseman and trying to subdue him.  
"Come here you little…"

Jack broke Dylan's hold and turned to face him, quickly scanning the FBI agent's belt for a pair of handcuffs. The pickpocket snatched the silver bracelets, ducked down, and quickly cuffed Dylan's ankle to the nearby chair. Jack pushed past Dylan, despite the suit's attempts to lash out at him, and stole the government issue radio right from his hip. Dylan stumbled and fell to the floor, breathing quickly as he glared at both the chair he was shackled to and the man who shackled him in the first place.

 _"Five is clear. Standing by for six," th_ e SWAT commander announced over the radio.

Jack glanced to the walkie-talkie and realized that there was a heavily-armed team right outside his door, just waiting for the go ahead to bust in and capture any remaining Horsemen. He needed to answer it.

"You little shit!" Dylan growled, shuffling forward.

"You little shit!" Jack parroted, trying to inflect his voice to match the incapacitated federal agent's.

"What game are you playing?!" Rhodes demanded, not picking up on the trick.

"What game are you playing?" Jack repeated, his voice deeper and more gravelly, a near match for the man he was mimicking.  
Dylan tilted his head in confusion.  
But then, the pickpocket raised the radio to his mouth and, in a flawless imitation of Agent Dylan Rhodes, announced, "We're all good on six, move to seven."

" _Copy that, going to seven,_ " the SWAT leader replied crisply, unable to hear Agent Fuller in the kitchen as he shouted for them to come back.

Jack smirked and then tossed the radio into the fireplace.

"Hey!" Dylan cried out as he tried to catch his communication lifeline, but not before it sparked and died in the flames.

Jack looked down at the floor and noticed a single piece of paper, something that he couldn't let Dylan get his hands on. He jumped for it, snatching it off the ground and backing away as Dylan brandished a fire iron from the hearth.

"Come here!" the FBI agent grunted.

The pickpocket gave the room a onceover, trying to find something he could use to defend himself, and caught sight of some of Ember's extra flash paper on the table's edge. As Dylan leapt to his feet, swinging the poker around, Jack flicked the fire-dancer's signature prop at him. The burning pieces of parchment struck the gruff federal agent in the face and obscured his view as he continued to advance on Jack. Dylan stopped only to rub his burning eyes, but when he looked up, he saw Jack had taken possession of Dylan's fire iron. The young Horseman smirked as he cocked his head to the side mockingly and threw the poker up in the air. Dylan, thinking he had the upper hand, kicked the Horseman back into a suspended piece of tapestry.  
Jack fell into the curtain and Dylan charged forward to tackle him, yet somehow Jack had escaped and left the fed tangled up in an empty tapestry. Dylan ripped the curtain off his head with a yell and quickly scanned the apartment for his target before finding him near another window. The furious fed grabbed a nearby wheeled crate and shoved it towards him across the room, yet when he only heard shattering glass did he realize he was looking into a mirror. Dylan turned around and only caught a glimpse of Jack as he leapt over the fed by swinging from the alcove of an adjacent room. Dylan lashed out with a kick, hitting Jack squarely in the back with the very chair that Jack had shackled to Dylan's ankle. The chair shattered on impact, which threw the Horseman to the ground and freed the FBI agent from one of his restraints.

Jack groaned as he glanced back at Dylan, who was busy fiddling with the handcuffs that were still locked around his ankle. The magician was running out of tricks and running out of energy. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.

" _You're gonna surrender after a little round of fisticuffs?! Get up and fight, Yank!"_ a familiar Irish brogue rang in his ears.  
Jack whipped his head around and saw an ethereal version of Ember standing just a few feet away.  
 _"You promised you'd return to me, Jack! You promised!"  
_ Ember vanished as quickly as she appeared, leaving behind two weapons Jack could used to defend himself: the same fire iron he'd stolen from Dylan just minutes before...or a few scattered playing cards. He had little time to weigh his options, so he quickly snatched a few cards off the ground and spun around to face the angry agent looming over Jack.

"Come here!" Dylan ordered, brandishing his cuffs.

"Alright, whoa, hold on, hold on!" Jack pleaded, raising his hand in surrender and hoping to stall the man for a moment.

Dylan didn't seem to be in the mood as he moved in closer to finally nab the Horseman. Seeing no other choice, Jack showed his hand by flipping a set of cards between his fingers and showing them off to the roughed-up suit.

"Really?" Dylan responded incredulously.

"Yup," Jack replied as quickly as the cards he began to fling at Dylan.

Jack fired off one card after another as he backed up towards the door. Dylan shielded his face and muttered a curse or two under his breath as the cards grazed his cheek, hands, and brow. As one final display of petty vengeance against the agent who first threatened Ember, Jack flicked his last card into the kitchen, striking Fuller in the face and causing him to stumble back and fall deeper into the trash dispenser. After all, even if he was surrounded by police on all sides and the risk of capture seemed imminent, that didn't mean he should go back on what made the Horsemen great: sticking it to authority. Jack smirked for a moment then turned and ran for the stairwell door while a roaring Rhodes followed after him.  
However, even when Dylan seemed to gain some ground going down the stairs, the magician made for a daring escape. Jack shoved the "top secret paper" into his mouth and bit down, freeing his hands so he could grab hold of an exposed pipe and plunge feet first into the garbage chute. He slid down the wide steel chute while bracing himself as much as possible along the metallic walls. Jack thought he was finally free...but then the unthinkable happened. Out of either rage-induced-mania or lack of concern, Agent Rhodes jumped into the chute and was tumbling down after the Horseman.

Dylan's lack of prowess and, uh, extra body mass aided him in catching up to Jack surprisingly quickly. The fed tackled the pickpocket mid-fall and they fought for the remaining evidence still clenched between Jack's teeth. The two men tumbled out of the chute and landed right in a very large pile of garbage (even for a rundown apartment building on the Lower East Side), but luckily they were too dazed to take notice of the unspeakable filth that now stained their clothes. Dylan landed on top so he was quick to recover, giving him time to look towards Jack, who needed a second to shake off his stupor before he caught sight of the fallen piece of paper. The two of them locked eyes over that paper, as if challenging the other to make the first move. The ever-impatient Dylan leapt toward the paper, but Jack snatched it up and leapfrogged over the flattened FBI agent before taking off.  
The Horseman burst through the basement door and ran out into the alley, but he veered toward the next building rather than risking going out onto the open street. And with that relentless agent still on his tail, Jack needed to get outside the FBI's perimeter and find a car...otherwise escape would be impossible. The magician climbed up the emergency ladder, took advantage of the building's roof access, and ran to find the nearest exit (all while repeatedly glancing over his shoulder to see Dylan only a few steps behind). Jack weaved his way through the employee break-room, the main production floor, and then through the customer office, slowing down his pursuer to the best of his ability by knocking over any obstacle just to gain a little ground and a little breathing room. The pickpocket cut through to the street, his eyes roaming quickly for an escape route. However, Jack managed to control himself by coming to a halt, changing his pace, and slowing his breathing.

Unfortunately, two FBI agents happened to be getting out of their standard black sedan right outside the A Street exit. Jack lowered his gaze and scratched his nose to hide his panting as he casually reached into one of their pockets to lift their car keys. Sadly, long fistfights followed by longer chases tend to lead to unsteady hands and lack of subtlety. Jack's hopes to go unnoticed were futile and the feds he pickpocketed turned around, recognized him, and lunged. The Horseman was ready, though, because of all the adrenaline still pumping through his veins.  
Jack quickly slugged the one reaching for him, followed up with a knock to the nose as the second turned towards him. The magician acted quickly and forced the FBI agents close together, their proximity making it not just awkward but impossible for both to fight back. Jack twisted their firsts to the ground; reached for one set of cuffs; and bound the suits together, keeping their entangled arms painfully locked in place as he reached for the second pair of handcuffs. The second agent tried to take a swing, but Jack caught that fist, cuffed it, twisted it over the man's shoulder, and cuffed the other end to his friend's arm that extended over his opposite shoulder. The Horseman shoved the agents onto the sidewalk, leaving them both in a very awkward, if not painful, position and completely unable to do anything but curse and moan at their predicament.

Jack quickly spun on his heels and moved to the car, hopping inside and starting it up right at Dylan emerged from the building. The head fed threw himself up against the passenger side window, screaming and banging against the glass. Jack smirked at Dylan, barely long enough for the suit to see, and then took off down the streets of New York City.

"We're almost free, Ember," Jack murmured under his breath. "Just a little bit longer."

 _*{0}*_

" _Okay, guys_ ," Daniel spoke up over the radio, " _Jack's about to pass so you need to activate the decoy in three...two...one..."_

 _VROOM!_

Merritt swerved his bus into the right lane right behind Jack. Next, Daniel veered his taxi into the left lane so he could prevent Dylan and Alma, driving right up on the Horsemen's tail in their commandeered BMW, from seeing Jack gunning it down the bridge.

" _Now_!" Daniel ordered.

Merritt and Ember simultaneously flicked their switches, his to detach the cadaver car and hers to steer it. Sweat beaded on the Irish girl's forehead and her fingers trembled as she kept her eyes locked on the rear view mirror so she could drive a full-sized car at 60mph via remote control. She waited for enough open space on the road in order to give the feds a good line of sight...and to prevent any trick-related casualties.

" _What the hell are you waiting for?!"_ Daniel antagonized.

Ember gritted her teeth in frustration. "I swear, Danny Boy, even if we end up going to jail tonight, my final act as a free woman will be taking this remote and shoving it up your- wait! I've got an opening! Here it goes...now!"  
And just like that, Ember jerked her joystick to the side and the decoy automobile slammed into the dividers, flew up into the air, and proceeded to flip and roll and tumble down the bridge.

The oncoming traffic screeched to a stop as Agents Rhodes and Fuller barreled out of their cars toward what remained of "Jack's escape vehicle". However, Dylan didn't have much time to salvage the evidence inside before the gas leaked out; was set ablaze; and within seconds, blew the entire decoy into smithereens.

Merritt smirked proudly, Henley grinned in glee, and even Daniel muttered something that sounded strangely like a compliment under his breath. Unfortunately, Ember made the mistake of turning around to look at the fiery inferno behind them. All of a sudden, it was as if her brain was flashing back and forth between the present...and seven years in the past.

 _Ember pedaled toward the bridge as fast and hard as her teenage legs could go, her eyes locked on the burning clunker, which she could still recognize through all the flames. She flung her bike to the side and dashed toward the fire._

 _"Oi, Miss! You need to stay back!" one of the Gardaí_ **(AN the An Garda Síochána is the Irish police force)** _ordered as he caught Ember and held her back._

 _"Y-You don't understand! That's my parents' car! I have to get them out! I have to-"_

 _"This thing's gonna blow!" one of the members of the fire brigade hollered._

 _The Garda whipped his head around, providing Ember with the opportune distraction to stomp on the policeman's foot and break free of his grip._  
 _"Mum! Dad!"_  
 _The blonde dashed through firefighters, whose hands were too weighed down by their heavy equipment and bulky uniforms to stop a determined teenager. However, before she could reach the car and pull her parents out..._  
 _BOOM!_  
 _Ember was knocked onto her back by the force of the explosion, causing her to hit her head on the road. The blue-eyed girl pushed herself off the ground, her vision foggy and her ears ringing, and stared at the sight around her as if everything was going in slow motion._  
 _"NO!" Ember screamed._  
 _The firemen scooped Ember off the ground and carried her away to an ambulance, doing their best to resist her kicking and screeching and scratching._  
 _"No! No, we have to go back! We can still save them!"_

 _"There's nothing left to save, lassie!" one of the firefighters insisted. "Their bodies are probably nothing more than a pile of ash! They're gone!"_

 _"They can't be gone! They can't! Mum and Dad wouldn't leave me like that!"_

 _"I'm sorry, Miss, but there's nothing more you can do!" the other fireman added. "Fires like that are uncontrollable!"_

 _"I'll learn to control it," Ember murmured, her whole body trembling as hot tears poured down her cheeks. "I'll learn."_

"Em?"  
Henley's soft voice pulled the Irish girl out of her flashback. The redhead kept her eyes on the road, but she still entwined her fingers around Ember's hand.  
"It's okay, sweetie. Jack's fine."

Ember tore her eyes away from the blazes consuming the decoy car just in time to catch sight of Jack's actual car speeding off the bridge. The blonde let out the deep breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.  
"R-Right," Ember stammered. "I-I know."

Henley pressed her lips together into a thin line as her concerned brown eyes flickered between the dashboard and Ember. "You sure you're okay to finish this? If you want, I can handle wiring the safe and-"

"No," Ember cut in, her voice steeled in determination. "It has to be me. The Eye chose me and I'm not gonna let them down...I'm not gonna let you guys down."

The escape artist sighed, but she nodded in understanding. "If you say so, Em." And with that, Henley gave Ember's hand one last squeeze and proceeded to drive toward the Elkhorn facility.

 _*{0}*_

 **I will admit, I'm slightly bummed I didn't cover all the pre-show antics in this chapter, but I so desperately wanted to publish it that I decided to postpone a couple things to the next chapter just so I could publish this before, oh I don't know, 2018! I can't promise I'll get another chapter out before the semester starts up in January because I have another story I've been putting off for months that has to be updated. I'm also gonna be pretty occupied this semester because not only am I taking an extra class, but I'm also performing in my first real college play in addition to serving as the recruitment advisor for my honors fraternity. In short, I'm gonna be a busy busy girl for the first 25% of 2018 but I promise to do my absolute best to write in whatever free time I have (no matter how much my new boyfriend tries to distract me). Anyway, happy holidays everybody! And if y'all wanna leave me a Christmas gift (or an early 21st birthday gift), feel free to leave me a nice little review in the box below!**


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